And Beauty Remains
by TenThousandMiles
Summary: Caroline was a US college girl who was fresh off the shore in London, ready to start her adventurous exchange life in her dream city. Klaus happened to be her dreaded, demanding, notorious university art course lecturer who directed his contrariness against this new girl on the first day of the semester… AU. Klaroline. All human. Don't own TVD.
1. Prologue

It was seven in the morning when Caroline woke up to Big Ben's chime in her dorm room.

She smiled to herself. _This is it._ First day of her exchange life in London.

Caroline sat up In her bed, hugging herself with her head on her knees. _It's going to be wonderful, this semester in Britain._ Ever since she heard of this half-year student exchange program provided with full scholarship by her college, she's been working so hard to get herself eligible, even harder than how she fought for the throne of Miss MF.

As an American small town girl, she'd always dreamed of traveling around Europe. The great cities, art, and music… all those genuine beauty, lying across the Atlantic, waiting for her to taste, to feel, to witness, to explore. And among all, Britain had always been the ideal first stop in her blue-printed grand tour plan. What could be more appropriate than choosing the place where modern collides tradition as a starting point? Let alone this is where she wouldn't have to worry about all the language and communicating problems.

And here she was now, after 2 whole years of efforts, she's finally here on her dreamland, her first step to her lifelong vision. The flight delay that caused her to arrive a whole day later than planned thus leaving her no choice but to unpack in just one day before school started had no call to ruin her excellent mood.

After washing herself up, Caroline walked out of her partition only to see her roommate, Elena, was already sitting by the table in their shared living room, having her toast and yoghurt as breakfast. She even got a share ready for Caroline.

"Morning. Come on and grab a bite or you're gonna miss the first session on the first day!" Elena patted on the chair next to her, inviting.

Caroline thanked her for the food and sat down to start chewing.

This British university was kind enough to place each fresh-off-the-shore exchange student with a more experienced one as roommates. Elena Gilbert, also an American exchange student, was on her second semester in this school by now since the program her college provided was for a whole year. Caroline quite envied that, but what could she ask for more when she's got full scholarship already? Besides, she was lucky enough to have Elena around to help her out with all the unpacking and cleaning yesterday. This Gilbert girl was truly one of great heart and enthusiasm.

"What are you doing today? You said you don't have classes on Mondays." Caroline opened up the conversation once she finished her toast.

"I'm planning on meeting my former roommate in the afternoon. She's doing her exchange here as well but she decided to move out to have more space to herself. She's an artist back home and she's been taking lots of at courses here. You know, paints and easels and canvases and abies oil and all. Artists do need room. Her name's Bonnie and she's really a cool girl. You'll gonna like her. We can have lunch together someday and I can introduce y'all."

"Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it." Caroline said smiling, but Elena's words were starting to make her nervous.

"Speaking of art courses…Elena, I'm taking a few of them this semester. Are they really that… nasty?"

"It depends. Bonnie said most lecturers in Art College aren't that demanding, I think she's just pushing herself too much. Why ask?" Elena stood up to clean up the table as they both had finished eating.

"Well, I'm actually not an art student back home and I'm only taking these courses because there were lots of restrictions on the course selection for the exchange program I'm in and this _History of Art and application_ course seemed to be the most interesting one in my limited choice…" Caroline frowned, suddenly feeling like a first-grader anxiously going to school for the first time in forever, "It's not that I've never drawn before. In fact I've earned some art credits back in high school. But I'm definitely no expert in that field."

Elena was now at the sink washing dishes, and Caroline could tell something must be wrong as she stiffened at the course she had just named.

"Which art course did you say you're taking?" Elena turned off the tap and even stopped whatever she was doing with the dishes to ask.

"_History of Art and application_?" Caroline answered hesitantly, "anything wrong with that?"

"People say the lecturer is kind of…" Elena seemed lost in her thought in search of a right description but in vain, "You know what, forget what I said. Forget what people said. Bonnie said the lecturer's courses are always worth taking despite the tiny flaws he has. So let's not put a prejudiced view on you before you experience it. Bonnie told me she's taking that course, too. I'll text her and make sure she helps you through the first sessions. Maybe you can join our afternoon reunion afterwards. Seems like you guys are gonna meet before I even get to introduce my former and current roommates to each other."

_Crap. Crap. Crap. _Caroline sighed.

Elena's trying her best to sound optimistic to cheer her up but ended up making her even worrier. How awful is that lecturer if this warmhearted girl couldn't even bring herself to put his problems in words?

The beam and good mood on her just a few minutes ago were now nowhere to be seen.

Little did Caroline know exactly what _wicked affairs_ she had put herself into.

**AN/**

**Hi there! Thank you all for reading my first ever fanfic in foreign language. Please forgive me if there are any misspells or grammar mistakes or whatever for English is not my mother tongue. But feel free to point them out! I'd appreciate it.**

**I've just started watching this wonderful TV series months ago and I really fell for it. Unfortunately, I have heavy academic loads for college this semester so I've only gone to mid-season5 so far. As a result there might be some settings in future stories that doesn't seem to catch up with whatever's going on with the girl bestie trio in the show. But needless to mention, my heart goes to this cute vamp couple whose male protagonist wasn't even mentioned in this prologue haha. He's gonna show up right in the beginning of the next chapter and I guess you all already know which character he's gonna be.**

**As you can see, the background of this story is set in London for I just came back from my second visit to this wonderful city. I really loved London and since most fanfics are set in the US with Klaus being the British foreigner, I thought it would be fun for Caroline to be the outsider this once. I'm going to write about several real places in London in future stories but this university near Big Ben is definitely fictitious.**

**Well please forgive the long AN for I was so excited to publish my first story on Fanfiction.**

**Please review and tell me your loves and hates in this short prologue. I'm still a green hand in this and it really would help motivate the updates if I know there's someone reading.**

**Thanks again, and until next time ;-D**

**-A**


	2. Dalí, the tyrant

As if things weren't depressing enough, the fact that _History of Art and Application_ happened to be Caroline's first course on the first day of school is only making it worse.

Not to mention she was too busy worrying to keep track of time or memorize where Elena told her the studio should be.

_This is so stupid. I just got noticed that this lecturer was actually a weirdo and I don't even know how so, and now I'm getting late for the first session! _Caroline thought to herself, crossing the campus greensward hastily.

She didn't forget to take a deep breath before she finally managed to locate the studio, huffing and puffing.

Caroline was relieved to hear Big Ben's chime again when she opened the door. She made it.

Unfortunately, the interrupted expression of the man on the stand said otherwise.

"You're late, Miss." He stated, his voice flat and emotionless but somehow pleasant to hear.

_Wow, this splendid harmony of handsomeness and charming voice would be such a waste if he's really that awful._

"Was, was I?" Caroline bent her head embarrassingly to take a look at her watch, trying to hide the blush on her face, "Sorry, I thought class starts on the hour."

"Well, you should have been 'in time' for class instead of 'on time'. I supposed this was common sense but apparently I was wrong since students of YOUR age seems to violate that unspoken rule quite OFTEN."

_Is he suggesting I'm a three-year-old lacking of nous?_

Caroline's just entered the room for a minute and she's already starting to see why students speak ill of this lecturer. She tried her best not to show her inner debate on how naïve she was to think him cute just seconds ago.

"Besides, every student know they're required to arrive before I do if they're planning on gaining this credit." He put on a hypocritical smile as he handed Caroline a sheet of syllabus.

"And how early is that exactly? 5 minutes before class starts? 10 minutes earlier? " She asked sincerely, eager to know how she should behave to go through the upcoming weeks as smooth as possible.

It wasn't until the silence spread and she spotted the dumbstruck looks on her classmates' that she realized how offensive she sounded. They look like she had brought the black plague back to Europe.

Caroline threw the lecturer a sorry look only to receive a disdainful _why should I tell you_ glare in return.

"You must be Miss Forbes." He checked her name off the name list, "you're lucky enough that I decided we're going to discuss about your midterm projects instead of doing any art works today. I usually don't expect students to come to my lectures forgetting not only their brains but also their color palettes."

Caroline had just managed to sit down and spot that rule number one on the syllabus when he spat the sarcasm:

_Always bring your painting paraphernalia to class. Don't ever be lazy enough to believe not bringing them to the first and the last sessions of the semester will be allowed._

Caroline sneered at it. _Ugh, he has to be this irritating, even on a piece of paper. _How is any new student going to know what should be brought to class on the first day? Caroline could see his reasons but he didn't have to be so harsh and severe.

"So, where were we before Miss Forbes disturbed?" He walked back beside his computer and switched the projected slide, "as you all know, I'm Niklaus Mikaelson, Principal Lecturer of Art College. We won't be elaborating what artists of the past had been doing over the years and their masterpieces in sequence for this semester. What I'm going to do is to show and help you apply the art techniques they'd been using, which is why this course is named as _History of Art and APPLICATION. _And that leaves the 'history' part to you."

Once again, Caroline sighed secretly for the perfect euphony that flowed as he speaks. She would never be able to believe one with that heart-melting appearance and voice could hold such malevolence had she not met this guy in person.

She quietly looked around the studio and found there were actually 10 other students attending this course. She had thought, with all the hearsays and tales about Mr. Mikaelson, there would be less. She also noticed, although unwillingly, that she's the only student without a huge bag or case of painting brushes and charcoal pencils and all.

Mr. Mikaelson's call suddenly knocked her out of her lost thoughts. "Miss Forbes, can you please ensure me you were actually paying attention to what I was saying by repeating it?"

Tittering with slight embarrassment, Caroline replied, "You said we'll have to do a presentation on our favorite historical artist as our midterm personal project, which is going to account for 60% of our final grade. Is that right?"

The cocky Mr. Mikaelson didn't even bother to respond. "I'll give you guys some time to choose a figure. Name me the artist 5 minutes later then you're allowed to leave."

_Wait, we're supposed to submit the personage of our presentation NOW? _

All Caroline knew about art and artists was Pablo Picasso. She didn't even have a pool of name to choose from.

Everyone else had started exchanging ideas and naming people she had never heard of. She searched around the room in hope that she could find her friend-to-be, Bonnie, and ask for her advice but all Caroline knew about her was that she was definitely not this Asian pale beau sitting right beside her.

_I guess I'm on my own for now then._

She unlocked her phone to google whatever she can access. Marc Chagall, Alphonse Mucha, Paul Gauguin… The more she googled, the more certain she is. She was never gonna make this. She was definitely not cut out for this course. Her shortage of artistic knowledge is certainly going to promise her failure in this course.

Caroline was even considering quitting this course when Mr. Mikaelson finally announced time was up.

Her fellow classmates had done proposing one after one and now it's her turn to confess.

"It seems we've only got you left, Miss Forbes." Mr. Mikaelson must have detected her anxiety as he'd put on an annoying smirk, "tell us who you choose. Everyone's waiting for the class to dismiss."

Caroline could tell he added that last sentence on purpose to humiliate her in front the whole class.

_That. Was. Enough._

She had been putting up with his constant calculated insults ever since she stepped in this damned studio just because she didn't know she had to get the hell in this room before he does. She had even felt sorry for being distracted in class minutes ago.

But the former Ms. MF was certainly not the girl to keep enduring some nonsense bully and oppression.

"Excuse me sir," Caroline stood up from the chair, trying to sound polite despite the rage under her skin, "but I think it's a bit flurrying to have us all propose in such short time. You can at least give us a week to do some research at home."

"I asked you to do the project on your FAVORITE artist. You don't have to google online to know which artist you prefer. Well, unless you're a total outsider when it comes to art." Mr. Mikaelson said, eyeing the phone in her hand.

"It's not my fault for knowing not as much about art as you all do!" Caroline burst out. Her classmates are now looking at her as if this daring girl had brought back not only the black plague but also WWII.

He seemed infuriated as well, voice pitching high, "and obviously it's neither my fault to have some amateur dilettante in my lecture where everyone else is capable of doing what they're told."

"Okay, fine. I'll just do as you said. I'll submit my chosen figure now and I'll have you take back your words in near future." Caroline suddenly felt provoked. What was she thinking? Quitting? No, no, no. _Caroline Forbes, you've gone this far to make yourself in London. You're not gonna give up just because some rude bastard was trying to frighten you off._ Yes, she was not the give-up-before-a-fight girl. She was going to do everything she could to finish that presentation and gain this credit and more.

_I will be acknowledged. I will stun you. I will make you regret._

"Oh please do, I'll even allow you more time for preparation to show my gratitude towards your allowing me to finally dismiss everyone on time." he scoffed, "it better not be Pablo Picasso."

No, it wasn't. A renowned yet not as common name had hit on Caroline. She knew introducing this artist should be a tiny piece of cake to art students but she was still going to surprise them with her presentation. She had the faith.

"I'll do Monet." She spat, leaving the studio like a blast.

* * *

"Caroline, Caroline!" Elena had been waiting for the blonde and succeeded in catching her once she stepped out of the building.

"Bonnie just texted me, she was taking a personal leave today and I didn't have the chance to notice you…" Elena felt sorry she had failed to aid her roommate since she knew how helpless it felt to be new to a foreign class with a demanding- and that was euphemistically speaking- lecturer, then she finally spotted the fury on Caroline's exquisite face, "what's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong!" Caroline cried, only to realize venting the anger on this accommodating girl wasn't helping, "never mind, it's not your fault. Thanks for coming anyway."

"You can still tell me what happened in that studio. I hope it has nothing to do with Klaus… but you can save it until later. Bonnie's still meeting us at the gate." Elena frowned, leading her towards the meeting place."

"Klaus who? I thought he said his name was Niklaus Mikaelson."

"Klaus is what we students call him after someone secretly overheard him being called like that by his brother." Bonnie, who had been filled in with all the drama, explained.

Caroline found this Bonnie girl frank and fun, even lovelier than how Elena had described. They soon became friends.

"I still can't believe you actually got the guts to talk back to the tyrant of art. Oh, that's another secret nickname we have for him," Bonnie laughed, eyes shining with excitement, "I wish I were there to witness."

The now much cooled down Caroline exhaled with irony, "thanks a lot, I'd be willing to yield my ticket to that scene. But I can't agree more to the tyrant part. He's got a temper. REAL temper."

"He's got to be a monarch to be a tyrant. And by that I mean he's got skill and talent and he's not that bad of a teacher if you could handle his… disagreeable character. I've progressed a lot since taking his courses." Bonnie stated.

Elena elbowed her friend with a string of giggle, "are you implying you're actually interested in this most dreaded, carping, notorious _tyrant of art_?"

"Oh come on, you know that's not what I meant," Bonnie rolled her eyes, "plus, it's not like you've never thought him hot, right Caroline?"

Caroline only answered the question with an awkward blush, which mad the other two girls burst into immediate laugh.

"I'd nominate our dear dean of academic affairs if we're really talking about the definition of HOT." Elena claimed.

"And who's that?" Caroline inquired as the girls entered an underground station and stopped by a Cornish pasty vendor for some snacks.

"Elijah Mikaelson, one of the elder brothers of Klaus, happened to be the respected dean of our school." Elena informed while looking for her oyster card.

Caroline lifted her eyebrow in astonishment, "so this tyrant's got a whole family working in the university? No wonder he's acting so domineering."

"They're actually the only two living Mikaelsons working there. Their father had retired from the board. But their great great grandfather was said to be one of the founders of the school. The family still wields a lot of influence there. That's why we refer to the Mikaelson family as _the originals_ sometimes." Bonnie said, taking the lead to get on the downward escalator, "you see, a tyrant has his noble family. The Mikaelsons seems to be an old family in British art industry. Klaus's siblings are all part of it as well, well, except Elijah. The oldest brother, Finn, is a well-known curator. That art fair in the V&amp;A museum came out from his hands."

Caroline watched as Bonnie pointed at a poster on the wall. That was an all-the-heat exhibition. Even her, an American who's just arrived in London, had heard of it.

"Kol's Klaus's younger brother, and he's a record producer in great demand. He's helped numerous singers won numerous awards." Bonnie lowered the volume to continue as they hopped on the train, "and that leaves Rebekah Mikaelson, the only sister in the family. She's a rising musical star in the west end."

"Wow. What a family." Caroline praised in awe. That was a complete different world from her small town life.

"Yeah, what a family. Some say that's the main reason why Klaus is being so restless and irascible. They say that Klaus's father always compares him to their ancestors' and his siblings' achievements and no matter how hard Klaus tried, he was never satisfied. You know, the 'father and unworthy son' soap opera cliché." Bonnie shrugged, "but I think the tyrant's got everything. The talent, the shine… he's Dalí to me."

"And who is this Dalí?" Caroline queried as Elena reminded her to alight, "and where are we going exactly?"

"_This station is Tottenham Court Road. Tottenham Court Road… Mind the gap please._"

"Salvador Dalí. The wild king of Spanish art. You really know nothing about art, don't you? " Bonnie asked in a friendly tone.

"Pretty much like that." Caroline admitted, "I'm gonna need your help Bonnie, to pass this crazy course. My faith to fight against Klaus is shrinking now."

"No worries." Elena beamed a glowing smile, "that's why we're here. Bonnie's offering an art shop tour for you and she's gonna tutor you stuff useful in Klaus's courses."

Caroline turned to face the brunette with full appreciation.

Elena cut in before she could put her gratitude in words, "ah ah ah, I'm not done talking yet. Before that art shop shopping cruise, we've got something else on our schedule."

"We're holding a welcome party at our favorite restaurant for you. Just us three. Girls' night." Bonnie announced delightfully.

That was the moment when Caroline felt like she was the luckiest, most loved women in the city. This was her first time to forget all the shit she had with Klaus after that afternoon.

"Awesome!"

* * *

"Nik, why are you wearing that annoying simper? It's freaking me out." Rebekah mocked, twirling her wine with her nail-polished hand.

"As a matter of fact I have to tell you, young sister, you're the only one in this room that would claim Klaus simpering with all the furrows on his forehead." Sitting beside the window, Elijah chuckled with a book in his hand to read to the moonlight.

"Nik's got a feisty one in his new course today." Kol gloated in the shiny leather sofa.

"How come I remember it's your turn tonight to pick Henrik up form Esther's, Kol?" Klaus finally broke his silence, threatening, "I would shut up, stop gossiping around like a stupid schoolgirl and start heading to Mother's if I were you. Otherwise your right to pick up our beloved baby brother would eventually be deprived."

Even Elijah joined the ridiculing, "No wonder. I always knew you were the one to take interest in girls with a fight."

"By whom are you notified of the student as a girl?" Klaus threw against his elder brother the letter opener he'd been playing in his hands, whose blade ended up deep in the wall beside the window as the target dodged, "she's no more than another annoying pretty face. Do not degrade me by associating me with some ignorant dabbler in such way."

"See, I told you so. Nik's in great mood." Rebekah concluded.

**AN/**

**So here you go with the latest chapter! It took me a long, long time to write since I was stuck in the quarrel part. What I was trying to do is to show how Klaus's attitude makes him misunderstood by others. In my opinion, there are always reasons behind his reckless moves, although usually twisted. At least that's what I saw from the show and its sequel. (Oh I love TO!) I wanted to make this scene dramatic yet sparky but it seemed easier to think of than to write. I hope I didn't disappoint you all.**

**Beside the couple's first confrontation, the chapter is more like a bridge chapter with all the information told. I hope you don't find it tedious. I've tried my best to make it interesting. For those who do, I'm really sorry for that and please wait for the next chapter. There'll be more Klaroline on next week's update.**

**Also, since I'm taking a few sport dance lessons recently, I'm planning on writing a one-shot about Klaus tutoring Caroline tango. What do you think? Please tell me by reviewing!**

**Last but not the least, I'd like to thank ****_BlueSkye23, talv1914, Angelikah, chillwithJyl, typedamon_**** and ****_Guest_**** for your kind reviews. You're my first reviewers and for that you meant a lot to me. Some of you asked for the next update to be longer, and since I'm new on this platform, I'm not sure about the average length other writers do… so I can only hope you're satisfied with this one :-) Also, thanks to all the favs and follows. You really made my day and motivated the update!**

**Again, please review and tell me where you like or want me to improve!**

**Until next week, it's TGIF in my country, so have a nice weekend:-D **

**(Oops, long AN again!)**

**-A**


	3. Temperas, the layers above

That night the girls went for a few shots after the dinner and shopping. They were cautious enough to keep themselves from getting blind-drunk for they still got courses to attend the next morning, but they were almost there when they finally left the bar. That was why they had decided to walk a few blocks in the chill night breeze instead of hopping on a Tube train immediately, hoping to clear their slightly dizzy heads.

Somehow they strolled themselves into a posh residential district, where there's no doubt only the richest ones in the city could afford.

"Someday I'm gonna make myself a fortune and buy one of those," Caroline cackled, pointing at the castle-like buildings.

"Was that before your glorious, epic defeat over Klaus or after?" Elena questioned huskily while giggling. She was obviously the closest to being drunk.

"Of course after." Caroline frowned, "my victory over him was just a matter of time. And by time I meant a really short period."

"And after you rocking Eurasia?" Bonnie added. The girls had shared their hopes and dreams for life during the drink. Bonnie even confessed that she was recently going out with a guy she wouldn't tell the name no matter how hard the other two had tried to extort. _The relationship is taking shape and we're still friends by now_ was her excuse.

Just as Caroline was about to agree with her, a small, warm figure bumped into the back of her legs.

Caroline turned around and leaned down to hold the little boy's shoulder, only to find him huffing and puffing from all the run and tears.

"What's wrong?" Elena looked at the boy with whole curiosity.

Being the most sober one, Caroline managed to ask, "Where's your mommy or daddy?"

That was when the four of them heard a far-off "stop him! Don't let him run again!" cry and the boy started wiggling to escape.

Caroline almost thought she'd lost him but Bonnie caught the boy fortunately.

"Cheers," a tall, slim man with eyes that resembled the boys' finally ran to them, and right after showing his gratitude towards the girls, he squatted to face the now frightened boy in no time, "Henrik, didn't I tell you not to run in the streets? You were lucky to have these lovely ladies capture you. You could have crashed into some full-speeded car!"

"I won't get that chance to hit a car thanks to you, Brother! You were so late to come pick me up. There are barely cars on the road!" The boy ducked behind Caroline for shelter and grab her left wrist to show the watch, "Look how late it is!"

"Henrik!" The guy raised his voice, "let go of the lady and get going or I'll have Nik and Elijah handle you later."

"Elijah?" Bonnie echoed the mentioned name and exchanged a look with Elena while Caroline was too caught up in the quarrel to notice.

Elijah was definitely no common name.

"No! Nik knows how much I hate staying late at mummy's and he'll never punish me for your faults!" The boy named Henrik yelled.

It was the ultimate amount of awkwardness Caroline could handle and since she had no intention on being sandwiched in this family drama for another 20 minutes, she stepped aside and bent down to talk to the brothers.

"Hey, Henrik, is it?" Caroline smiled as the boy nodded with moisture in his eyes, " I don't know what's going on with you and your big brother, but it's so late now. Your parents would've wondered where you've gone."

"I don't have a daddy or mummy at home." Henrik sobbed and peeked at his brother, "but I got Nik and Lijah and Bekah and…Kol."

Though attached to the sentence reluctantly by Henrik, Kol's name as well as the others confirmed Bonnie and Elena's assumptions. They had ran into two of the originals.

Caroline took a peek at the man beside her for approval and kept on pacifying, "Well then Nik and Lijah and Bekah would be the ones worrying at home now. Even your brother Kol here is worried about you. That's why he's angry with you."

"But he threatened to have Nik and Lijah punish me for being late! It wasn't me, it's him…"

Henrik's complaint was cut off by Kol's annoyed explanation, "no, baby brother. I only wanted them to lecture you for running in the streets and for occupying some beautiful strangers' time and…"

Yet again, Kol's words were interrupted, but this time by Caroline's silent pat on his back.

"Then why don't you take Kol home now and have your brothers punish him instead? I believe they can see your reason." Caroline induced, secretly lipping a _sorry_ at Kol.

The boy's eyes lit up to Caroline's suggestions and agreed to return at once.

"You were cool." Kol gave Caroline a brief handshake of appreciation before leaving with Henrik eventually, "guess having a baby brother for the past 5 years doesn't make me more skillful when it comes to children."

* * *

Later that week Caroline was filled in with the fact that the scene she was accidentally dragged in belonged to Klaus's family. She had also taken a few lessons about artistic skills from Bonnie and asked for recommendations for reference books.

Whenever Elena came back from school or the dance club she'd joined, Caroline was either practicing drawing, burying herself in the books she'd borrowed from the library or out for other courses. Caroline had put all her strength in her determination to astonish Klaus. She was even studying harder than she had prepared for SAT. She had made up her mind that she wasn't just going to hand in a perfect midterm project. She was also going to perform outstandingly in class. She was going to win it all.

However, it was soon for Caroline to admit Rome couldn't be built in one day. She could cram all the knowledge she had read from the books, but creating art was just something that required more than texts on books. It required skill, experience and talent.

Sitting in front of another piece ruined by herself, she sighed. She was nobody to judge if she had talent on art or not, but her lack of skill and experience was a solid truth. She had been practicing the techniques Bonnie taught her over and over but something was just wrong. She blamed it on her short art vita.

"Care?" Elena poked her head out of her room and spotted her roommate in their shared living room, "why are you still sitting in front of that stupid easel when you've been working with it all week? It's Sunday night!"

"Well, I guess I have nothing else to do, so I seized my time. Practice makes perfect, after all." Caroline shrugged, trying to act normal.

"But you've just arrived in London! Don't you wanna go city touring? Or maybe just hop on some double-deck bus?" Elena stepped out of her room with her hands on her waist, "Come on, exchange student, you can study back home. You're in one of the most amazing cities in the world! I thought you're here to explore, not to lock yourself up like a geeky nerd."

Elena was right. Caroline had a long to-do list made before she left the states. There were so many places in London she'd like to visit, so many things waiting for her to do. She was just too frustrated by how slowly she was progressing to go out for fun.

"I'm okay, really. Klaus's course is on Monday and he's teaching tempera tomorrow. That was something Bonnie didn't know how to teach me so I've only got hours before class to figure it out on my own…"

Elena posed her palm out and stopped the blonde, "ah ah, talk to my hand if you're giving me another lame excuse. Bonnie and I are going to a pub party tonight. Come with us. Go have some dances and shots. Maybe flirt a hot Brit or two. Just…just allow yourself some fun, Care."

Caroline was slightly moved by Elena's suggestion. She tried running her hands through her hair while considering but ended up coloring her forehead with the paint stains on her fingers. That reminded her for just how clumsy she still was in the world of art.

"Thanks for inviting, Elena. But I won't get any chance near any hotties with these on my face. Just go with Bonnie and tell her to save me a night to buy her a drink as a thankyou." Caroline stood up and headed to the shower room, "plus, I haven't have time to skype with my mom and friends since arriving. I'll check if they're online later."

Elena sighed and walked back to her room for some final make-up touches, "if you insist. Just promise me you won't root yourself in front of that easel, okay? At least chat with your friends."

"Sure." Carline promised.

Caroline only succeeded in accessing her mom later that night, since it was early in the morning in the US and most of her friends in MF were in sound sleep except for the Sherriff. Liz was on shift and managed to have her colleagues cover her for a small chit-chat with the daughter.

Caroline only left her best friend, Stefan a private message on Facebook to report safe before she went to bed.

She had a battle to fight the next day. It had to be an early night.

* * *

Caroline made it to the studio 30 minutes earlier. She was the first to arrive.

So she picked herself a seat, one with the best view of whatever Klaus will be teaching later, and grabbed a provided easel over. Half an hour was enough for some practice.

Her classmates came in one after another, and last came Bonnie, who gave Caroline a wink as she helped her put the easel and canvas away.

Then in walked Klaus, just a minute before the bell rang.

He set up his laptop and the projector, and took a dozen of eggs out of his bag.

"As you all know, from the syllabus," Klaus announced, clicking to show the slide, "We're doing egg tempera today."

"Can anyone tell us what that is?" he asked, showing slides of tempera masterpieces on the screen.

Bonnie raised her hand and answered, "Tempera is a permanent, fast-drying painting method, using colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium…usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk as its medium."

"Well done, Miss Bennett." Klaus nodded and kept on explaining.

That was a question she had read about a few days ago. She could answer that. Caroline smiled at Bonnie. Her friend had truly devoted herself to art. She wasn't trying to compete with Bonnie, but she regretted losing every single chance to knock the "you won't be able to humiliate me if I try hard enough" truth in Klaus's head.

"Fetch me an easel and a canvas, will you?" Klaus had finished his introduction and asked a red-headed boy to help him set up as he stirred a yolk he'd just beaten into the paint. He then sat himself down at the center of the studio, and started demonstrating the techniques of tempera.

Caroline hesitated a second about whether she should stand up and surround Klaus like what everyone else was doing. The scene of Klaus being in the center of a crowd just somehow seemed weird. Klaus sure was self-centered and he was, in some aspect, the tyrant, the king among his people, but he seemed more of a lone wolf to Caroline.

The thought only hanged her back for a while. Caroline squeezed herself into the circle around the tyrant anyway.

"The medium used in tempera dries almost immediately and crackles when it is." Klaus said, soaking his painting brush into the Prussian blue on his palette, "so what we usually do when painting a tempera is to smear thin layers one above another. What's the name of the touches we use when daubing? Anyone?"

"Cross-hatching." Caroline murmured, standing right behind Klaus.

Klaus turned around to face her with amuse and surprise written on his charming face.

"Seems someone's been studying at home." He concluded and resumed demonstrating.

Just as Caroline was about to taste the sweetness of victory on her lips, the annoying lecturer added, "ten points for Gryffindor."

The rest of the class burst out laughing, leaving the shamed Caroline, who suddenly was able to understand how Harry Potter feels when scolded by professor Snape, blushing from head to toe.

_How was he capable of doing that?_ Admiring the exquisite touches, the enchanting shades and the impeccable composition on this tempera piece Klaus had almost finished, Caroline thought to herself. _How could he humiliate me and create such pure, graceful beauty at the same time?_ She had heard of how talented the tyrant of art was, always from his biggest fan, Bonnie, but this was the first time for Caroline to witness his genius by herself.

There wasn't only beauty in his drawings. There was a flow, a sense of insecurity, yet somehow packed with extreme strength, power and loneliness… There was something profound, something deep in his creations that she was sure no one else had ever detected. Otherwise, he wouldn't had ended up just a lecturer now. He would have become an international master if only anyone else could feel the curing tenderness in his works like she did.

There was soul.

And she was able to understand. What's more, she felt understood, by this man, through his tempera. She didn't know how to put this feeling in words and the only thing she knew at that moment was how hard she wanted him to acknowledge her, how much she wanted this loathsome yet gifted artist to see the efforts she'd made. What mattered was no longer winning over him. It was proving herself to him that counted.

So when Klaus sent them off to their seats to create their own piece using tempera techniques, she spared herself no time to waste and started composing directly.

An hour later, Klaus began walking around the studio, viewing his students' works. The fact that he was going to see her work spiked Caroline's heart with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. She wanted him to see the ground she'd gained yet she was sure the comment that was going to come out from him was nothing likely to be pleasant to hear.

Finally he paced behind her.

She stiffened as she sensed him opening his mouth.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Forbes?" Klaus remarked, "didn't I ask you all to create a piece of your own?"

Caroline laid down her painting brush and replied firmly despite her inner turmoil, "and that's what I'm doing now, obviously."

"No. This has nothing to do with creating, Miss Forbes." He sneered, shaking his head as if disbelieving, "this is mimicking."

It was Caroline's turn to fall in utter disbelief. She was the creator of her drawings. That made her know everything more than anyone else on earth of this piece. If she didn't think she was mimicking while composing it, how could he do so?

"May I beg your pardon?" Caroline muttered.

Klaus sighed, not of scorn but of not knowing how to explain. "Just stop on this piece. Note that _art is about creating rather than gaining others' acknowledgement_. Think about it. You can hand in another piece by next Monday."

Then he LEFT. He went off to check someone else's work, leaving Caroline there, defeated.

Bonnie, who saw the despair in Caroline's eyes, walked over quietly and patted on her back to cheer her up.

"Maybe I can help you later in the dorm…" Bonnie was whispering to her when Klaus interrupted from the other side of the room.

"Miss Bennett, I strongly suggest that you leave Miss Forbes alone."

Bonnie raised her head to retort but Caroline was a step ahead, "she was just trying to help."

"The last thing you need now is help from others!" Klaus raised his voice as if infuriated by her respond, "have you not understand?"

He walked across the studio to get the canvas Caroline practiced on before class and strode wide steps towards her until he reached the piece in front of her.

"This," he then grabbed both works in his hands, the under-process one staining fresh, roaring red paint on his masculine fingers, "and this…these are all touches of Miss Benett and mine."

_So he knew I was practicing before class. Then how could he still say that?_

"No, I drew them!" Caroline answered back. She was surprised she couldn't feel a single teardrop on her cheek. After every hard work she'd gone through, all still seemed worthless to him, to this genius. _Why am I not crying? I should be_.

Yet she wasn't.

Something there in her helped hold back her tears, her softness.

"You did drew them, indeed," Klaus looked, for the first time in forever, straight into her sky blue eyes, "but it wasn't you drawing. It wasn't your drawing. You were drawing under someone else's influence. These strokes, the colors you chose, the composition… You draw like Miss Bennett, and even me. You draw like the ones you learn from."

Perceiving his voice, which was originally fierce and harsh, softening gradually, Caroline sat back down and looked at her works.

Klaus sent her back with her canvases and his last words to her that day, "keep what I told you in mind. Art is about yourself. Turn in something new next time."

* * *

"What hurts me the worst was that he was right." Caroline sniffed to the laptop screen, "the notorious bad ass that I hate and wanted to conquer so much was right. And I even feel appreciation of his being right, his correction on me when I was supposed to protest against it."

"Care…" the one skyping with her frowned to the tears she finally allowed herself to release.

"He sees through me, Stef." Caroline rubbed her nose with a fresh draw of tissue, feeling safe enough to be fragile in the presence of her best friend since high school, "but I still dislike him. Don't get me wrong."

Stefan felt relieved hearing a half-joke from his friend. She must had regained some energy during crying.

That was when Elena came back to their dorm room with Bonnie. They both had bags and boxes of food in their hands and was going to speak to her once they opened the door.

"Sorry, skyping." Caroline smiled to them on the living room couch, "I'll be done in a minute!"

"Care, let's change the topic and see if this helps with your mood." Stefan proposed.

Caroline raised her eyebrows. She wondered if anything besides a giant cup of hot chocolate could do her any good right then, but still tried to sound interested for her friend, "and what would that be?"

Elena passed by Caroline and gave her a poke to show her they'd be waiting for her to join the dinner prepared at the table.

"I'm visiting London during Christmas time." Stefan announced.

Caroline was distracted nodding to Elena when Stefan told her the news, so it took her a few seconds to digest what he had just told her.

When she finally did, she jerked her head back at the screen and literally screamed with joy, "you're coming to visit me?"

"Well, technically, I am."

Stefan chuckled at how she always welcomed him with all she could and how she lighted up with even the tiniest surprise he was offering.

"How about Damon? Is he coming?" Caroline was still in shock of Stefan, one more like a family than a normal friend to her, coming abroad for her this Christmas. They had shared similar pain for one of them was orphaned at a very young age and the other had hardly enjoyed any parental love during childhood. He had helped her through the roughest part of her rebellious phase in high school and even lightened the insecurity she'd been suffering from her parents' divorce and her mother's constant absence.

And now, he was offering her the warmth of family once again.

"He didn't want to get in the holiday flight jam but I'll persuade him to come with me eventually." Stefan shrugged to his brother's stubbornness, "no one should be alone at Christmas after all, and that includes you, young lady."

"I'm far from alone here. I've made some new friends." Caroline giggled, concluding the conversation, "I'll introduce them to you when you arrive. Make sure to tell me the time of your arrival when you're done with Damon and the tickets."

Elena walked over and hand Caroline a steaming hot raisin scone, "have it and come over to dig in some pasta, you must be starving."

Caroline sank her teeth into the warm pastry with a heart full of gratitude and love. Bonnie must had told her about what had happened in Klaus's course. That was why they were having dinner here.

_I can get through anything with Stefan, Bonnie, Elena and all these lovely people by my side._

"Hey, I'm just asking…" Elena peeked at the now blacked laptop screen, "who was the guy chatting with you? He's quite cute."

There was first a few seconds of silence before a string of embarrassed cough came from the computer.

"Elena, I haven't turned the mic and skype off yet." Caroline confessed as she held back the laugh.

"Um, Elena isn't it?" Stefan said awkwardly, "thanks for your compliment."

**AN/**

**Wow that was a long Chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it.**

**First and foremost, I'd like to express my gratitude to dearest ****_talv1914, Libra86, maryrose16, tippy093, April420, Angelikah, chillwithJyl, nafertidi, angelskull16, goldenhummingbird, lou, Ellavm18 and Guests_**** for all the kind reviews. I'd like to read your Klaroline fanfics and review as well and I've been doing it but it's going to take some time.**

**Some of you asked how come Caroline isn't punished for talking back to her lecturer. I don't know what it's like in Britain but if anyone in my school/country does the same thing he/she is definitely doomed. (Well maybe not that serious since we're freer in college.) But there's a reason behind this and if things go on as planned, I'll be able to reveal it in the next chapter. Some of you also asked for other TVD characters to appear in this story. So here you go with Stef! This was part of the planned plot that was going to be unfolded way later, but since someone asked for it and I'm mainly writing to provide everyone some fun, I was more than glad to change the sequence of my plot. Do feel free to tell me how you want the story to develop. Although I can't promise to take every piece of advice but as long as it doesn't change the whole plot too much, I'm willing to satisfy as many of you as possible. Still another request was to know more about Henrik's situation. Again, he wasn't supposed to show up so soon but that was just a request I couldn't resist. As you all can see, Henrik isn't dead in this story and he's going to play an important role in the relationship between the couple. Also, since the Mikaelsons are all human and have nothing to do with supernatural beings now, I believe it's more appropriate for Klaus to be less paranoid. (And by LESS I mean he's STILL a paranoid! He's still got crazy parents to deal with.)**

**Finally, I'll have to apologize if there were any misuse, misspell or grammar mistake in this chapter for I caught a cold recently and final exam is coming up. I'm not in my best situation and I was soooooo dizzy when writing. That was why it took me longer to update this time.**

**I would love to tell more about my thoughts behind this chapter but the AN is getting lengthy so let's put an end to it.**

**It seems like long ANs have become some sort of label of mine, haha.**

**Please review to motivate updates!**

**Until next week!**

**PS. I cried to the story when I read it 5 mins ago so I had to add this: #illridewithyou**

**Go Australia!**

**-A**


	4. Ink Paintings,the two-men show

**TO characters ALERT!**

**I know some of you are not as interested in the sequel as I am. Just note that the characters that appeared in this and future chapters are only there because their names are needed. No TO plot included, no crossovers. They're just names!**

**Oh and make sure to read through the AN at the bottom for there will be important information and questions that decide how this fic ends.**

**Happy reading then!**

"So… you okay?" Elena asked as Caroline sat at the table.

Caroline thought for a while, and finally sighed. "I feel fine now." She helped herself with the pasta and poured herself some lemonade, "after talking to Stefan…let's just say everything is better now."

"You sure, Care?" Bonnie laid down her fork and stared at the blonde, concerned. "You don't look FINE at the studio."

"Bonnie told me everything. Klaus was way too harsh." Elena patted Caroline's shoulder.

"Actually, I can see his reasons after calming down." She took a sip from her glass and continued, "I still don't understand what he's looking for, you know, the '_Art is about yourself_' part. But he's really got skills, even I can tell it. I guess he has the qualification to be picky when it comes to drawing."

"So now you're with me, huh? I told you so." Bonnie, Klaus' lifelong fan, smiled, "not that he was right to scold or humiliate you in classes. It's just…I think he actually likes you."

"What?" Caroline and Elena let out a huge disbelief simultaneously.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and said, "aw, come on. Klaus was nicknamed the TYRANT for a reason. No one'd ever talked back to him publically before you did, daredevil. No one dared. Or maybe the ones who was brave enough simply got kicked out of the course and was smart enough to shut up afterwards. Klaus's got a temper, guys. And all you've got so long was only abusive language. He could have done worse to you, Care. But he didn't."

Elena threw her hands in the air, "well, that doesn't prove anything. Maybe he was just too bored and wanted someone to toy with for the rest of the semester."

Bonnie gave her former roommate a _you're-not-making-things-any-better_ glare, "and he's never taught anyone in such a detailed way."

"I'd prefer to believe he was simply too mad at my clumsiness. He needed to fix the dumb." Caroline shrugged as if she couldn't care less, yet something deep down in her was already stirring.

"Caroline, he might be furious while guiding you but that's how he does things, always the thunder and rain. Don't dwell on his emotion. Dwell on the fact that he's mentoring you, a semi-art-novice who he wouldn't even care a bit normally, in a way he's never done with others, not me, no other students before. I guess he sees talent, or whatever he's interested in, in you." Bonnie's hand crossed the round table and reached Caroline's for a slight squeeze, "I'd feel lucky if I were you. Frankly speaking, I envy you for having his direction. It's priceless."

Caroline was shocked. She couldn't bring herself to words for the bombshell Bonnie just dropped on her.

The man who had done nothing else than scolding her actually evaluates her positively?

_Hell no, no. This can't be._ Caroline thought to herself. What would the almighty tyrant be if what Bonnie said was true? A 15-year-old boy? Only teenage schoolboys act the opposite of what they actually mean.

_The genius just couldn't stand a tactless in his classroom. That's all, nothing more._

Caroline tried to conclude her inner debate but in vain.

_But… what if that was true? Does that mean Klaus had already acknowledged me secretly?_

"Okay, you guys are now talking about something I don't understand. We've got a non-artist here okay?" Elena mocked as she finished the last bite of her lasagna, "I heard they're promoting Klaus next year. Like he wasn't successful enough to be a principal lecturer at such a young age already."

"That was before dark horse Marcel stepped in his way." Bonnie informed.

"And who's this Marcel?" Caroline inquired, feeling like an innocent outsider again. It's out of question that 2 weeks was not enough for an exchange student to know everything about the new school.

"Marcel was kind of the one and only apprentice to Klaus years ago. He learned everything he knew about art from him and somehow got a vacancy at the Art College." Bonnie related what she heard from some gossiping guy, "as we all know, Klaus wasn't the easy-going, friendly kind of person, and that happened to be what Marcel was best at. He made lots of BIG friends during his apprenticeship and the sinews helped with his meteoric rise among his colleagues. He was promoted to the same place as Klaus in mere 3 years. Even Klaus spent 5 years to become a principal lecturer. And Marcel is now contending for next year's solely released associate professor position against his former master. People say they're each other's worst enemy."

"Wow. That was…Klaus must feel hurt. I mean for someone who don't seem to accept apprentices easily, that was almost betrayal." Elena stated, "but his temper is absolutely one to blame."

Caroline thought about what she felt when viewing Klaus' creation that afternoon while her friends debated on whether the tyrant's temper was a problem. She was sure Klaus' work was the best, most profound one she'd ever seen. Even though she was no fan of his, she bet his promotion to the associate professor position was just a matter of time. Bonnie once mentioned his tension with his father. Could this relate to the variance between them?

_Stop thinking about what's none of your business, Caroline Forbes. You've got emergencies to worry about._

As if able to read Caroline's thoughts, Bonnie steered the conversation to a new topic in an awkward way. It was almost like Bonnie felt uncomfortable keeping on talking about Klaus and Marcel.

At the end of the dinner, Bonnie offered to help Caroline with the piece she was supposed to hand in once again but was thankfully refused.

"Although I still really don't get what Klaus want from me, I think he was right. I have to stop relying on you, Bon. Kids gotta grow up eventually."

Bonnie nodded while she helped put away the dishes, "you're right. You got any INNOVATIVE idea yet? Klaus can't be easily satisfied."

Just as Caroline was about to give a negative answer, Elena suggested, "if I were you, Care, I'd simply try something no one else can draw. That way Klaus won't be able to claim you mimicking."

It took Caroline a few seconds to take in the hint but when she did, the first thing she did was to run over the living room and give her roommate a big hug.

"Elena Gilbert, you're such a genius!" Caroline was so excited about finding what to draw in such a short period that she even gave the brunette a peck on the cheek.

There surely was something only the girl who'd wanted to wander around the world ever since she was born could draw.

* * *

Caroline had been drawing almost 20 hours a day after she decided what to do. Piece after piece she drew and every time she finished a work she picked a flaw out of it and started all over again.

Time flies unfortunately faster when you absorb yourself in serious issues and soon Caroline met yet another dawn, the dawn of the day when Klaus' course would take place.

She was surprised to find Klaus 15 minutes early in the studio and she seized the chance to turn in her work before any of her classmates could enter. The last thing she wanted was another public humiliation.

Klaus looked at her piece with his brows crumpled together for a very long time. There were times when he brought his masculine fingers to his chin and Caroline's eyes couldn't help but follow their track through his stubble. There were times he ran those same fingers through his sand blond hair and Caroline chided herself quietly when she found herself biting her lower lips seeing that scene.

_What the hell are you doing, Caroline?_

_Mouthwatering over the demanding lecturer is the last thing you should be doing now! He's the loathsome genius and you're the cumbersome dumb he's trying to fix!_

Whatever he did while examining her colorful tempera, he remained silent. That made her even more anxious. She had expected sharp criticism and even a one-second return, but this was nothing she imagined. This, Klaus viewing her piece in such a concentrated way.

"Well… how is it?" unable to stand the stabbing silence anymore, Caroline plucked up the courage to ask.

And there was no response.

In order to keep herself from the awkwardness, all Caroline could come up with was keep the one-man show going, "this was the view from the top spot of London Eye, you know, overlooking London like a soaring _free_ bird… All the neon, the lights, sceneries, buildings and _colors_ and all. Oh, and this is definitely an innovat-, original work since my dream was to travel around the world and London was my favorite city and I know the topic I chose can be lame but believe me no one else sees the same London like I did and-"

Klaus cut her nervous ramble off with a high-held hand and finally broke his silence, "that would be obvious."

Caroline was stunned by his enchanting smirk for a second or two and barely recovered when she mumbled, "was that an OKAY?"

"Yes, piece accepted." Klaus tore his eyes from the canvas and looked straight into her angelic eyes, "however, you did inspired me to make a slight change to the syllabus."

"We're doing something different next week, class. Make sure you bring only necessities. We're practicing outdoors next time." Klaus announced to the now almost complete class.

He then turned to face a boy who'd just entered the room, "come with me and help fetch the stuff needed today."

Caroline was muddled by both her easy pass and Klaus' attitude at the moment and was going to find herself a seat when the lecturer, who had already strolled to the door, turned to announce, "you're only passing on that one. That doesn't mean _problem solved_. Think about what I told you last Monday, Miss Forbes."

* * *

Things seemed to go on smoothly after Klaus' acceptance of Caroline's tempera.

It's not that her artistic skill had suddenly progressed enough to satisfy the picky lecturer. It's that he had simply stopped all the scoffing and taunting. In fact, silent frowns took over his handsome face whenever he examines her work. There were times when Klaus opened his mouth but ended up gulping down what he was going to say and gave her the same words instead.

_"__Art is about yourself, Miss Forbes."_

_"__Art is about creating rather than gaining others' acknowledgement."_

And the words did get across to Caroline, or rather, did get across to her i_n her opinion_. She'd spent another sleepless week practicing desperately, wondering what Klaus meant.

Now that Klaus had accepted her tempera, she must had surmounted the "mimicking problem", according to Klaus' claims. If so, how come he still kept telling her what art was about?

Hadn't she been practicing and progressing?

Was that not enough?

How could there still be anything to be fixed?

Could there be more troubles awaiting her in the field of art?

Or should she ask, could art be more than what she'd been taking?

Bearing those unsolved questions and a sore wrist, Caroline entered the studio.

There were a few students in the room already, all busy taking orders and packing paraphernalia in boxes as Klaus conducted.

"Stop standing there with wide eyes, Forbes. Make yourself useful." Klaus issued and pointed at two huge baskets of empty bottles, "why don't you help fill these water bottles? We'll be painting outdoors later today."

Caroline nodded and paced to the baskets, arguing whether she should fill two to three bottles a time or finish the task in one walk to the tap at the end of the hallway.

Laziness won eventually and Caroline made it back on time with heavy loadings on both her hands, ignoring the now screaming pain on her right wrist.

Knowing Caroline was running errand for the class, Klaus was patient enough to wait until she got herself seated to start his lecture, "as I told you last week, we're doing a random course today."

He clicked and showed the next slide, an exotic black-and-white painting.

"Anyone knows where this is from?" Klaus asked, cocking a brow.

Bonnie, who arrived way later than Caroline did and was now sitting in the back of the room, responded hesitantly, "China, is it? That's a piece of Chinese ink painting."

_Wow this girl does know a lot about art._ Caroline thought to herself as she shot her friend a smile. That was something she definitely didn't know.

"Very well." Klaus cleared his throat as he showed the class more masterpieces and got his students fascinated with the novel drawings, "I've been doing all the European-centered historical techniques with you for semesters. A change of taste might be an inspiration. Now let's see how the easterns do their art."

After a whole hour of explanation and discussion (which Caroline was surprised to find allowed in the tyrant's classroom), Klaus concluded the first session by asking, "so beside the media used to compose, what is the most significant difference between eastern and western art, anyone?"

This time, Caroline shot her hand up high immediately when no one else was concentrated enough to answer.

"The biggest different lies in the usage of colors and the compositions. Western artists tend to fill the picture with as many colors as possible, while there were few colors and lots of blanks left in Chinese ink paintings." Caroline narrated confidentially.

Klaus' grey-blue eyes found hers as he listened to her analysis. He gave a slight nod when she finished, and fired her another question as an interested smile found its way to his lips, "and why is that, in your perspective?"

The random question caught Caroline. She thought for a while and Klaus didn't seem to mind her taking her time.

"I guess," Caroline replied sheepishly, "that colorful isn't always the best? Maybe blanks leaves the viewers more to imagine?"

Klaus' dimpled smirk danced wilder listening to Caroline's opinion and he gave neither approvals nor disapprovals to what she said. All she received was a simple sentence, "remember what you said".

Klaus then hurried the class out to the woods in the east of the campus. He hadn't miss the wince on the specific blonde's exquisite face before Bonnie offered to help her with one of the bottle baskets.

* * *

"We'll be sketching and painting here for the rest of the hours. Make good use of what you brought." Klaus announced as the students scattered among the trees with the paraphernalia brought from the studio and walked off to a free corner to paint himself.

"What are you drawing?" Caroline leaned to Bonnie.

Bonnie shrugged as she tossed her head up high to inhale the fresh, muddy nature scent, "no idea yet. Obviously trees, though. I just don't know how to start yet."

"Yeah." Caroline agreed as she looked at her paints, "I wonder what those Chinese paintings he'd just taught us has to do with this multicolored pre-October autumn woods. I mean, look at it, all the maroon, firebrick, dark brown, golden, khaki and sienna…so vigor-overflowing, so kaleidoscopic, so different from the color-limited eastern style."

Caroline would like to discuss more but they both agreed if they didn't start drawing, they wouldn't be able to hand in the work on time.

So Caroline buried herself in the splendid world of nature and her hands just started moving automatically.

By the end of the session, Klaus strolled around to give final advices and the familiar disapproving look appeared when he finally stepped behind Caroline.

Ignorant of Klaus' expression, Caroline was so pleased with the dazzlingly colorful piece she'd just finished that she turned to face Klaus with a beam on her face and glistening glow in her sky blue eyes that she didn't even know she was wearing.

That made Klaus swallow the scold he was ready to burst.

"What are you up to, again?" Klaus queried firmly.

"Woods." The delight on Caroline's face faded now that she had sensed something wrong in the air, "any…problem?"

The hidden rage in his voice deepened, "I'd like ask you the same question, Miss Forbes. Have you not heard what I told you 2 week before? Have you forgotten what you said, just an hour ago?"

Caroline was suddenly fogged.

_This guy is absolutely unreasonable._

First, he humiliate her time after time publically. Then, he wanted her to quit a mimicking habit she didn't even admit existed. And now, when she was beginning to believe the tension between them had somehow eased to some extent, he confused her with ambiguous riddles and expected her to figure them out on her own.

"What was the problem? Just tell me directly!" Caroline whispered harshly, not wanting to make a scene. She'd already had enough attention among her classmates in the past few weeks.

"YOU are the problem!" Klaus spat, grabbing her wrist so hard that it squeezed a painful gasp out of her clenched teeth.

Once recovered from the acute pain, Caroline pulled her hand out of Klaus' grasp, piercing stares into his astonished eyes, "it hurts!"

It was then that the reason for her wince he had caught dawned on him and again he clutched the reddened, swelling right wrist from her rubbing left hand.

"Let go!" Caroline tried to escape but this time Klaus was well prepared and remained solid while she plucked.

Klaus' glare towards her made her shrink and fell silent in an instant.

"It's tendinis." Klaus diagnosed, checking the lump on her hand.

"It's what? What's tendi-" Caroline's sentence was interrupted by another scowl he casted her and her left hand was suddenly taken and dragged as her right arm was freed.

She stumbled as Klaus hauled her forward without a single word.

"Where are we goin-, no, what are you doing?" Caroline couldn't control her volume anymore.

Instead of answering Caroline directly, Klaus turned to the students and announced, "you're free to go once you finish your works today. Hand them in next Monday."

He strode a few steps before he took a brief stop and had his blonde student crashed into his solid back, "Miss Bennett, you'll take care of your friend's stuff, won't you?"

He didn't wait for Bonnie's dumbfounded nod to continue walking.

Instead, he marched towards his personal office with the overwhelmed Caroline's hand seized tightly in his.

**AN/**

**Sorry for the delay! I know it's been longer than I promised and I should be updating last week. I was just too sick to get any reasoned writings done and viewing ch3 (also written when I was under the weather) I felt so embarrassed to have you read through all those obvious misuses and grammar mistakes. So I decided to wait until my brain starts functioning but apparently it wasn't going to, in near future (still so sick *cough*). So I just had to let it go and get writing before your patience with me runs out. So here you go with the New Year greeting chapter, I hope you like it and are able to endure with my poor writings.**

****Here comes a very important question I'll have to ask my readers to answer. This has a VERY big thing to do with how the couple ends up so please do tell me by reviewing. How is it like to have a teacher-student romance in universities in English speaking or European countries? Are these relationship blessed? Or are they illegal? I just found that people's attitude toward talking-back in classes can differ a lot by country, so I was wondering if the couple's going to face any trouble when they…yeah.**

**This is an informative chapter and believe me, I tried my best to bring up as much Klaroline as possible but it's still so boring… please just stick with my slow pace a little longer and I promise fluffs are gradually taking place.**

**Oh and the Chinese ink painting stuff just hit on me a few days ago since I've been taking a few different foreign language lessons. I was looking for a different art form for Klaus to show Caroline and what from an ancient civilization seemed to suite the original hybrid, so…**

**Last but not the least, big hugs to those who made my days by giving me the generous reviews: lele91, klaroline4everlove, mo, Guests, tippy093, goldenhummingbird, SEKCENDGAME, redbudrose, Ashilz, majahoi, Angelikah, talv1914, iceSTEP and chillwithJyl.**

**Believe it or not, every review motivated me to keep on typing under such poor condition. No words can express my gratitude.**

**So, until next chapter! Happy New Year!**

**Preview: More Klaroline and more of the little Mikaelson cutie next chapter! (As many of you requested.)**


	5. Wicked, the knight in armor

Klaus let go of Caroline's hand and went looking for his first aid kit once he slammed the door of his office.

"Come over." He commanded as he took out a pain relief patch.

Caroline frowned and hesitated. She was confused.

_What is this all about?_

_He just yelled at me publically (again) and now he's gonna nurse me?_

_Is this April Fool's Day or am I on some cheesy reality show? Where's the camera?_

Holding out his hand, Klaus gave her a scowl, "Come. Over. And. Give. Me. Your. Hand. Don't make me repeat that again."

"Fine." Caroline did as he said reluctantly and suddenly found a pair of warm palms covering, rubbing, massaging her silently aching right wrist.

She turned her head and saw the concentrated look on his face.

The sun shot through the window beside him. The beam glittered on his sand blond curls. The fine hair on his face seemed to flicker every time his body take those tiny breathing moves. The colorful leaves outside danced to the twirling winds at a rhythm resonating the healing hands' massaging frequency.

Caroline couldn't help but held back each breath before she made sure it was okay to exhale, somehow too caught up by her own urge for wanting to feel the tickle of his stubble.

Despite all those stun happening around him, the most beautiful- yes, beautiful, which was the only word Caroline found accurate enough to describe how she felt by then- was the pure focus in his eyes.

How, how was he able to remain so still and focused when all those beauty was taking place around him, when _HE WAS_ one of those beauty?

"You shouldn't have carried all those water." His voice brought Caroline back from her fantasy to reality and made her roll her eyes, "I thought you're the one who ASKED me to do so."

"Well you could've told me you're suffering for tendinis." Klaus glared and purposely applied more medical spray on her aching point, causing another gasp.

"Like you would ask someone else do it if you knew my hand was hurting?" Caroline sneered, still under the effect of the chilling spray.

When she said so, she was expecting another verbal battle and had been preparing herself for a new round of humiliation. What she wasn't prepared for was what he did instead.

She found those two ponds of deep, blue waves looking intently, straightly into hers with an expression too complicated to fully describe.

"You really look so low of me?" After a long gaze, he finally bided.

Not knowing how to answer, Caroline changed the subject, "how come you got all these? Is this tendinis thing common? I didn't even know what it is before today."

"Common for ordinary people? No. Routine for pâtissiers or artists or whatever occupation that require lots of hand-using? Yes." Klaus grabbed her hand again and pasted the pain relief patch on her wrist, "but only for those who practice hard."

Caroline looked at him once again, wondering if he had gone through this hard-working phase when he was still green in arts. He was skilled in the nursing part after all. And sure the lone wolf would have to do that alone.

The thought of Klaus wrapping himself with his other hand gave her heart a sore punch.

"There you go." Klaus smoothed the patch again before freeing Caroline's right wrist and added, "try not do things with it these days. Don't practice drawing either."

"How am I going to hand in the work we did today on time then?" Caroline checked her wrist and furrowed her brows. She didn't thought it was this serious. It was only soring, never aching before the day.

Klaus turned around to put the kit away as he responded, leaving his face unseen, "your piece would never be accepted under this condition anyway."

"What?" Caroline threw her hand high in the air, "oh, so now we're going through this irritating routine again? You humiliate me in front of the whole class. Check. You tell me how badly I draw. Check. You tell me to go home and turn in another piece. Check. You refuse to accept my work without telling me where the real problem lies in AGAIN. Check. I thought this was over when you said I passed last time!"

Klaus was wearing that quarrel smirk when he turned to face her, distracting Caroline to wonder if he ever smile or laugh wholeheartedly. "Now that's serious accusation. First, I never said your drawings were BAD. I was only hoping to see more improvement. Now don't roll your eyes, I mean it. Second, believe it or not, I don't want this all over again either. You're the one who caused all of this."

"Huh, I'M the reason?" Caroline shook her head and started heading towards the door, "Mr. Mikaelson, you're impossible."

"Well thanks for the compliment. I've been told worse." He mocked, "fleeing this room like you did on the first day isn't going to change anything, you know."

Caroline jerked back with a furious countenance and gritted, "I wasn't and am not fleeing. I just can't stand you. Ugh, what's your problem?"

Klaus raised the pitch and shouted, "how many times do I have to tell you, I wasn't trying to embarrass you. The problem is not me. It's you!"

Just as she was ready to shoot back, a quiet knock stepped in the way.

Klaus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "come on in."

"Mr. Mikaelson, your painting and paraphernalia." The Asian boy in the course came in with Klaus' stuff.

"Just leave them by the door." Having calmed down a little, Klaus poured himself some Scotch while ordering.

The boy shot Caroline a pitiful look before he exited. He must had heard their fight.

Caroline leaned to the wall and exhaled before she opened her mouth again, "so are you going to tell me about my problem this time or not? And I mean TELL tell, elaborate. Don't give me another _'Art is about yourself'_ riddle."

Klaus took a last swig, "read through the lines, young girl."

"Okay I get the _art is about myself_ part. You want me to develop my own style of drawing instead of mimicking others." Caroline slid down against the wall to sit in exhaustion, "and I really tried not to. You accepted my London Eye piece. So what now?"

He laid the glass and paced slowly towards her, "yes, I can see you've overcame the mimicking part, which was quite impressing considering the brief period you took."

"Really?" Caroline sat up with her eyes lit up by Klaus' first ever compliment on her.

"That's your problem. You're taking others', umm, opinions too seriously." Klaus chuckled, leaving _my opinion_ unsaid.

"The London Eye work was accepted only because I saw something about YOU in it. But the later works you drew… let's just say… yes. They were you. But they were not the real you. They were an insecure and helpless girl shouting for others' attention and acknowledgement. Don't deny it."

But she wasn't trying to.

Caroline didn't know how her expression then looked but it surely wasn't a pleased one. She could feel the bitterness on her tongue, for his correct analysis on her, AGAIN.

_He sees through me._

Klaus squatted, allowing their gaze to meet on the same horizontal. "You were exaggerating, using screaming colors on every work, regardless of the motif. Exaggeration and colors can be used, they're not wrong, but only when they're needed. I tried to show you with the Chinese ink painting subject."

He grabbed the paint the Asian boy just delivered and showed it to her.

On that canvas he just worked on was the woods, painted with mere 2 colors, black and white. "Look, you don't have to apply a hundred colors to create a vital scenery. In a Chinese ink painting way… different concentrations of black and multiple shades of white can build the atmosphere as well, or even reveal the aroma in a more delicate way.

Caroline's head fell while she reflected over Klaus' words. He was right. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I wanted you to figure that out by yourself, like I…" Klaus swallowed his last word and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again to continue, "the realization would only be solid and stick with you if it comes to you itself."

She raised her head but failed to spot any familiar hostility on his face or in his voice. It was replaced by authentic sincerity, everything a student could ever ask of a teacher, a mentor to provide.

"Listen, Caroline. Art is not about others' acknowledgement. Art is not about being _loud._ Art is about yourself…" He pointed closely to her left chest, "it's about how you truly feel, and what you want to tell, here."

That day Caroline left the tyrant's office with a heavy heart and the permission of a late turn-in. She didn't miss the fact that this was the first time for her first name to be laid on those exquisite lips.

* * *

Later that evening, Caroline took a Tube to the west end and ended up purchasing a last minute sale ticket to one of the most popular musicals in London for she wasn't quite ready to deal with all the questions Bonnie and Elena must had prepared for her.

By the time Caroline return to the dorm, Elena had already retrieved to her partition and she seemed to get the hint. Caroline was never bothered with the questions she thought would overwhelm her.

She handled everything mostly with only one hand the next few days and felt relieved when weekend finally approached. It wasn't that she was having a hard time. In fact, Elena helped a lot during the week. It was that she was overloaded with all the inconvenience and Klaus' words troubling her at the same time. Or rather, Klaus' precise insight into her.

No one had ever known her so profoundly, even her best friend took a year or two to discover the insecurity that lied behind her fighting façade.

And this panicked her. She didn't want to tell either of the girls for she thought they were too good to understand the dark part of her. Of course it wasn't okay to let her mom know she'd been talking back to her lecturer. She somehow didn't even feel right to let Stefan know her situation with Klaus.

It wasn't until then that it dawned on Caroline that she'd really got few people she trusted deeply enough to talk to when it comes to serious problems. And all she could think of or imagine now, was spilling out all her thoughts to Klaus, the origin of her restlessness.

"What are you doing!" Caroline yelled to herself, scratching her head and tossing herself on her bed at the same time, wishing to drive her thoughts away from her normally harsh lecturer.

She sat up and covered her face with her hands determinately. "Ugh, a change of the scene can do."

So there the blonde was, in one of her must-go list places.

She breathed in the relaxing air as she strolled the catwalks between the lush lawns and burning trees in Hyde Park. She smiled as the breeze caressed her cheeks when she took her time picnicking by a pond full of birds in Kensington Park. At last she couldn't really locate which park she was in since the two parks were connected- not that she minded, she was too busy enjoying her mental leisure time in ages.

Caroline was going to sit down when a soccer ball bounced in her sight.

She caught it with her intact hand and turned around in search of its owner, only to find a small, familiar figure running over.

"Thank you very much..." Henrik didn't recognize her until he stopped before her knees, "hey, we've met before!"

Caroline smiled and returned the ball, "I remember you, Henrik."

The boy received his ball with a wide grin and caught Caroline off guard by reaching for her right hand, "I never knew your name. I wanted to thank you. Lijah did scold Kol that night… but Bekah said I couldn't because I didn't know your address and name."

Henrik's childish words entertained Caroline, "the name's Caroline Forbes, you can call me Caroline."

"Okay Caroline," he took her hand in his and haled lightly, "come with me! I want to show you to Nik!"

Caroline froze at the name the boy mentioned. She wasn't ready to face the guy she'd been thinking of all the time yet. Their actual encounter wasn't supposed to be any earlier than on Monday.

"Wha-what, you're brother's with you?" Caroline remained solid despite of Henrik's tug, mind racing a mile a minute, trying to come up with an excuse to excuse herself from the boy.

It wasn't like she really believed she could escape anyway.

"Henrik? What are you doing with that lady…Miss Forbes." Klaus jogged across the lawn in a navy hoodie and a pair of dark washed jeans, "let go of Miss Forbes' hand. You're hurting her, Henrik."

"It's okay, it's almost recovered."

"How do you know Caroline and how do you know she's injured?" Henrik and Caroline said at the same time.

Klaus gave the exchange student a brief nod before lowering himself to lift Henrik in his arms, "Miss Forbes happened to be a student of mine, and how do you know her, baby brother?"

"She's the one Kol and I met in the streets that night!" Henrik giggled, "Nik, can Caroline please please please play football with us?"

"I think Miss Forbes' hand would be…"Klaus frowned but he never completed the sentence. His words were cut off by his favorite brothers' huge puppy eyes, "fine, fine. If she agrees to."

Then the two Mikaelsons turned to the only female in the trio, one pleading for her to join and the other's expression unreadable.

Caroline hesitated for a while but gave in to the look the lovely boy was shooting her, "I'm not good at ball games."

"You can be the referee!" Henrik exclaimed as he wiggled in Klaus' arms, wanting to land.

* * *

Caroline's next hour and the next after that was spent racing from this side of the grass to the other, and she couldn't help but thank Klaus for calling a pause to the game to answer a home call.

"Whoa, I thought I was going to be the judge." She lied down, sweeping bean-size sweat drops from her temples.

Henrik joined her and frightened a few tiny bugs to flight as he fell heavily to the green, "but you had fun, didn't you?"

Caroline cackled as she rolled to her side to face the boy and saw Klaus' irate gestures as he walked further with the phone in his hand, "indeed."

Henrik rolled towards her as well, "do you like London? What's your favorite part?"

Now only mere distance between them, Caroline wondered if they seemed like close sister and brother hugging each other to strangers. The thought itself made her smile from the depth of her heart. "I haven't got time for city tours yet. So I guess my favorite place so far should be this park."

Henrik's telltale face shone at her words, showing his delight that he had participated in her memory of her favorite place in his hometown, "you'll even like the park more when you see the statue of Peter Pan. It's my favorite. Nik used to like it a lot, too."

Caroline raised her brow in astonishment. She didn't think a man like Klaus would favor a statue of a fairytale character, "then you should show me next time. I'm curious."

"How did you hurt your hand, Caroline?" Henrik suddenly changed the subject and sat up with some grass stuck in his hair, looking at the pain relief patch carefully, as if even sights could break the fragile wrist.

Caroline wasn't planning on telling the boy details but another peek of Klaus' far off fury made her decide to distract the boy as long as possible, "well there's a big, bad lecturer in my school…"

Henrik's reaction to Caroline's story was way more serious than she had expected. He even took out his smartphone, which Caroline was surprised that a child of his age owned, and insisted on having Caroline's number so his brother, who happened to be the dean of Caroline's school, could talk to her when he arrived home. "That's definitely not what a gentleman should do. Not what Lijah and Nik taught me."

Caroline had to suppress her shakes of secret laughs looking at the serious furrows between the boy's brows.

"What are you guys doing?" Klaus jogged back to them and scratched his brother's head before sitting down beside them.

"Caroline just told me about her monster teacher in school. Nik, How come you never report this to Lijah if you knew he hurt your student?" Henrik grabbed his elder brother's hand and hugged him as he said so.

Klaus' face fell as he pierced Caroline a knowing glare. She managed to fake an innocent look before bursting into the biggest laughter she'd ever had in weeks.

"Come on, Henrik. Elijah wants us to get home for dinner. Finn's coming tonight." Klaus stood up and patted himself to get rid of the stray grass on his pants.

Caroline was surprised at the hand he held out to help her stand up but took it eventually, "I'm taking the Tube so I guess it's time to say goodbye."

"Nonsense." Klaus stated, smirking, "my car is parked the same way so why don't you accompany us to it since Henrik seems to adore you."

* * *

"You know you really are different outside the university, Mr. Mikaelson." Caroline finally plucked up the courage to confess on their walk to his car. It wasn't until moments before that she figured this out. She wouldn't have played soccer with him or even prank with Henrik if he was the Niklaus Mikaelson she dealt with in the studio.

"What, that I wear casual instead of my work-shirts surprises you?" Klaus replied, chuckling instead of responding directly.

Caroline laughed at his joke. Feeling no longer nervous thinking of him or being in his presence but comfortable instead, she decided to just go with it, "and that you play soccer."

"Artists sport, okay?" He took the ball from Henrik (regardless of his protest) and tossed it up high before capturing it again, "and please, say football instead of soccer."

Caroline threw her head up high in laughter, "yeah, yeah. British English vocabulary."

"I'm serious." Klaus looked at her with a smile on his face, "why use a name created by a nation who gives its original one to another sport just because they don't really play it?"

Caroline shook her head in laughter as they reached the edge of the park, "let's just call it a day before we start another war over soc-football, Mr. Mikaelson."

"My car's over there." Klaus nodded in agreement and pulled out his key, "Henrik, bid your farewell."

Caroline said her goodbyes and headed to the entrance of the underground across the street.

"Miss Forbes!" A voice stopped her from descending at the stairs downwards, "call me Klaus, when we're not on campus."

She smiled to the last minute words and decided to tell him what she'd been thinking all along today, "Klaus?"

He was already half in his car by then, but he stepped out and looked her way, lipping her a "yes?"

"You know, I just went to a musical this week and it's about a mistaken wicked witch…" Caroline shouted from her side of the street. She was too occupied considering how to convey her true feelings to care for people's frowns on her, "some people might seem like demons lurking in shadow or villains in fairy tales told to children. But I guess I figured out the truth today. These people are only mistaken. Maybe in another unseen version of the story, they are knights in shining armor."

Klaus said nothing in reply but gave her a wholehearted smile instead.

**Sorry, I know I delayed. I had a miserable final week and slept 2 hours on daily basis. And on the weekend more tragedy occurred so all I could do was postpone my writings. I tried to make it up to you by making it a bit longer. Do you like this full-of-Klaroline chapter? Tell me your thoughts please!**

**In this chapter I revealed a softer part of Klaus. I hope you don't find this Klaus too OOC. We can't always have them fighting after all, and Klaus was always friendlier beside our favorite blonde vamp and his family. This is just a get-to-know-more-about-each-other stage. For Care, my settings for her was that although she has Stefan to help her through high school and become less competitive in my story, such intent insecurity is only fixed by her vampirism in the show. So in this non-supernatural fic, there are still some dark parts in her and Klaus will be the one to understand,discover and help her out of it.**

**The outfit Klaus is wearing at the park was the one Joseph Morgan wore in the Christmas half season finale of TO season 2. Oh I somehow just love that look so much. (Maybe the polaroid scene helped haha.) The musical Care mentioned at the end of the story was one of my favorites, ****_Wicked_****. The lines she said was adapted from a TO quote. I cried when Klaus said those words to Elijah in the show and that's what made me stick to the series regardless of its wild plot. ****_It's all about family._**

**Thanks to Chelseab95, jessnicole, Mystery Girl3, blueberry55, Maaaarianne, Angelikah, talv1914, Libra86, klaroline4everlove, lele91, chillwithJyl, worldwarIII, goldenhummingbird, FuryanWarrior, tippy093, ashleysimp, Ferocious Tango, Ashilz, Ashley and Guests for your kind reviews. I know I say this every time but your feedbacks really made my days, especially those in misery. Also a huge hug to those who answered my question either by PM or review. You helped me made the decision. Guess which way I'm gonna make them go through? The easier one or the tough one?**

**To answer one of the requests, I'm afraid I can't promise Bamon shipping in this story, YET. As you all know, Bonnie's dating someone in this story and sorry this not-Damon guy has something important to do with the couple. But I haven't decided whether Bonnie's gonna break up with this guy in the end or not, so let's just say if they do and the plot goes on as planned, I'll ship them at the end of the story. But no promises, sorry!**

**I've finished my semester now and I'm planning on updating twice (maybe one for this story and the other for one-shots) a week during the vacation. Unfortunately, I was going on a family trip next week so the double update plan won't start until the week after next. Just keep tuned and if my works have gained your faith in me so far, please don't hesitate to check out my one-shots when they're out.**

**So I'll see you next time then!**

**Preview: Klaus' POV and more of the youngest Mikaelson.**


	6. Texts, the sensation unknown

"Lijah, I'm finished!" Henrik announced on his chair by the dining table.

Elijah sighed at the spinach left on his brother's plate, "Henrik, what did we talk about last evening, about balanced diet and picky eating?"

"But I hate veggies!" the boy moaned and turned to his other brother, "Nik, tell Lijah I've been good today. I can skip a meal without chewing like a lamb."

"As reluctant as I am to admit, I'm afraid Elijah is right like always on this one, Henrik," Klaus coaxed, "why don't you eat it up and we'll talk about our little field trip next week?"

Henrik whined as he did so then retrieved back to his room for TV time. Klaus was planning on following suite to have some relaxation with his favorite baby brother before Finn coughed to gain everyone's attention.

"I would like to have Henrik stay over at Mother's next Wednesday night." Finn proclaimed and the dining room fell into sudden silence.

It was Kol's sneer that broke the stillness, "I knew Finn visiting for dinner would never be something pleasing. Like Judas and the last supper."

"And you talk like you get to make the decision, which is totally not the case." Rebekah scoffed in sarcasm, "in case you forget how this family works or missed the headline of today's daily,"

She swallowed, wiped her mouth with a napkin and purposely threw the cloth at Finn's now empty plate as she rose to leave the room, "it's usually Nik who runs the _because I said so_ scene."

Finn remained calm regardless of his sister's ever fierce act and continued once she disappeared, "it's Mother's birthday."

Elijah picked up his wine glass gracefully and took a sip from it, "which is very well noticed."

"And you ask for this literally every year." Kol rolled his eyes.

"Mother's condition is getting worse these days and I believe she could use her youngest son's company." Finn stated, looking firmly at his siblings, who'd been living separately from him and their mother since their parents' divorce.

Klaus slammed his glass heavily on the desk as he pierced glares at his eldest brother, "and you expect us to risk letting our beloved brother stay overnight with that lunatic woman just because she's meeting the fate she deserved?"

"Hold your tongue Niklaus. Whatever hatred you hold against Mother, she's till the woman who gave birth to us." Elijah turned from his blond brother to the elder one, "as for your proposal, Brother, the answer this year would still be negative for it contradicts our deal."

Kol strode to the back of the eldest of his siblings and patted on his shoulder, "I'm with Elijah. We've already been allowing Mother to keep 3 hours of Henrik's company on weekday evenings and that alone freaks him out. You'd be as mad as Mother if you ever believe we'd approve another step forward."

"I supposed accompanying parents in sickbeds was something, well, filial and normal for sons and daughters to do." Finn drummed his fingers on the table cloth, "but since our family is, frankly speaking, very much far from normal and it's obvious that you don't want our baby brother to learn what's right to do, I'll have to negotiate."

"Just spit." Klaus cursed through his clenched teeth.

"Exchange. You've been longing for a Christmas dinner without me and our parents for years. What a merry scene to imagine. Just the stray Mikaelsons with their darling baby brother." Finn picked up the napkin Rebekah'd tossed at him and started folding it neatly, "Christmas dinner on your own this year for the overnight stay next week."

Neither did the brothers made a sound.

Finn's lips tugged as he placed the tidily folded napkin in front of Klaus deliberately, "I'll take it as_ deal_ then."

* * *

"Hey mate," Klaus whispered as he entered Henrik's room, "what are you up to?"

Henrik held his smartphone up high, beaming, "I'm texting Caroline!"

"You are?" Klaus hadn't been exaggerating the look of surprise on his face when he sat down and read the phone screen, "when'd you get her number, dab hand?"

Henrik crawled and had himself seated on his big brother's lap, "I was going to have Lijah help with her problem but Lijah said he'd prefer to handle it secretly. So I think maybe a _Hi_ will reassure her?"

Klaus couldn't help but laugh secretly at his elder brother's cleverness and his baby brother's innocence. He simply nodded and watched how Henrik's face lit up as he sent his first ever text message. Sometimes he persuade himself the pure naiveté he saw in Henrik's eyes was the only glimmer of light that helped him hang on.

The boy's birth had been the damaged family's rescue and redeemer. There's no way he'd let the fact that Henrik was born in to a hell of mess put this angel in the misery he was in.

"Henrik, there's something I have to discuss with you." Klaus started hesitantly, "Finn wants you to stay over at Esther's next week."

"No!" Henrik cried immediately. He turned and looked up at Klaus with moisture in his eyes, "Nik, I hate being with Mother. She scares me. No, no, please don't make me."

"I know, Henrik, I know. We should've asked for your opinion but…" Klaus soothed as he combed the boy's short hair with his fingers, failed to come up with what to say, "in exchange we don't have to be with Esther, Mikael and Finn this Christmas. Think about it, the whole Christmas, just you and I, Elijah, Bekah and Kol. Just us."

Klaus spent another hour comforting Henrik, who eventually stopped crying and agreed with the bargain he never had a voice in.

The bitter taste of guilt oozed through Klaus' mouth as he carefully placed the now asleep Henrik on his tiny bed and tugged him in the sheets. He was trying to pull the phone from the boy's tight grasp when it vibrated and the screen glowed.

_Hi and goodnight, sweetie._ Read the respond text from Caroline.

Klaus hardly had a clue what he was doing right then.

He'd sneaked his baby brother's phone back to his own room for a text his student had sent in reply.

He tried to convince himself that he simply did it so he could respond for his brother and not disturb his sleep with all the back and forth messages. What he wasn't aware of was he had been expecting back and forth messages before even replying.

_What lame excuse_. He thought to himself. _Whatever. Not going to let some college girl effect my thoughts._ He left the phone on the nightstand and lied down on his bed, ready to let the haunting image of his student go.

Yet he failed.

The harder he tried to focus on falling asleep, the harder it was to tear his thoughts from the very blonde_._

He really needed to sleep. It was an exhausting day- not that he hadn't enjoyed the ball game with Henrik and, well, the blonde- and he's got courses to teach tomorrow, _History of Art and Application_, where he was going to meet the blonde, again.

How had this blonde grow on him?

He really meant what he had told his siblings on the evening of the first day, that this Caroline Forbes was no more than a pretty face to him. He'd even been annoyed and worried that her lacking of skill and experience in art would burden the class and his teaching pace.

But things changed gradually and as he found out how hard the girl had been working to catch up, to earn _HIS_ acknowledgement, he felt he saw his former self in her.

They were basically the same. Niklaus Mikaelson, who had worked so hard to meet his so-called father's expectations but in vain, and Caroline Forbes, who held an insecure little girl behind her fighting, strong façade. They were the ones who were never good enough, never the first choice of others.

Her endeavors reminded him of the countless nights he spent researching and drawing, eager to make himself eligible for high positions in the university, hoping that he could eventually gain Mikael's acknowledgement. Even the tiniest progress would make him wildly excited, rejoicing over his being a little closer to living up the name of the Mikaelsons.

Caroline looking up to him was just like how he'd used to look up to Mikael.

He had wanted to prove himself wrong by scolding and humiliating her, in hope that she would be intimidated and eventually back off. It turned out that he was wrong indeed. They were the same but not that similar.

His assumptions would have been right ironically if she'd backed off.

But she didn't. Unlike him.

Klaus had stopped looking up to his father once he found out the truth of his identity, once he found out why Mikael would never be satisfied with the effort he'd made, and cocooned himself in a cold, dark, hard, harsh mask.

On the other hand, she was still so lively, so full of light, so willing to fight and take challenges, even after all those obstacles. Unlike him, so different.

So he was wrong and like a curious moth drawn to bonfire light, he subconsciously guided her, helped her and…

How to name this sensation?

He takes an interest in her, although he hardly knew her outside of the studio.

Ah, fancy, that's it. He fancied her.

Tricky. Neither like nor love, he simply fancied her.

It was as if he could imagine her whole figure right there, right then. The twinkles that bounced between her blonde curls, the die-hard smile on her angelic face, the silky touch he felt when massaging her wrist in his office, the slightly high-pitched voice she let out when she felt offended.

She was a symphony of _andante cantabile_, a brook chiming crystal rhythm deep in some remote forest, an edelweiss he'd like to wake up to every morning.

Wait, did he just thought about waking up to his student?

Klaus finally admitted that he'd never get any sleep if he kept ignoring the want, the need to reply that text message.

So he followed his heart.

* * *

Caroline had just finished showering all the sweat from the football game when her phone beeped. She hadn't expect to receive another message from Henrik so soon and was ready to play the _why aren't you in bed yet_ motherly role when she unlocked her phone.

_Goodnight to you too, love._

That was definitely not the five-year-old lovely boy texting.

It frightened her for a while and even got the towel covering her naked, wet body dropped to the floor.

It wasn't until she dried herself and put her PJs on that she felt calm enough to reply the text from her dreaded yet hot lecturer.

She thought twice- well, she actually repeated the type-then-delete-and-type-again cycle several times- before settling with "_I had a great afternoon today, thanks_."

She was just about to put down the phone when it beeped again.

_Same here. Although it's our pleasure to have your company._

Caroline smiled at Klaus' respond before receiving another message.

_Actually, I believe I'm the only one who should be holding gratitude. Henrik's been homeschooling ever since he came of age and you're pretty much his first non-relative friend. That was the first text message he's ever sent. Thank you for being so nice to him._

Caroline couldn't help but felt warm reading those words by the man who she'd been loathing until last week. Had he not opened up and told her how – in an extreme way- he'd been trying to teach her, she wouldn't have enjoyed a pleasant, relaxing afternoon with him. Had it not been this, she had to admit, amazing afternoon experience, she wouldn't have known the tyrant could be so carefree but caring. Had she not seen the other side of Klaus, she wouldn't be…

So confused now.

She wonder how she felt for him now, how to address this unknown attraction he had for her.

She hardly even knew him, yet she was tangling with herself now._ How to respond?_

"_It's my honor to be a friend of his. According to what Henrik said when we first met, I can tell how come his first friend came so late. He had the most flawless, caring siblings in the world,_" was what Caroline ended up sending after a whole new round of self-debate.

It wasn't long before she got another reply, and another after that, and several after that.

The clock on Caroline's nightstand stroked 2 when she finally received a "_you should go get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow_" from Klaus.

_Okay. Goodnight. For real this time_. She laughed as she sent it.

_Sweet dreams for sweethearts._ Klaus replied.

**AN/**

**Okay I know this is shorter then what I usually do but it seemed like the only place to stop before it grow into a 20-Microsoft-word-page chapter, that way I won't be updating until the end of January haha! Please tell me your thoughts about this chapter. I was stuck in the texting part, ugh, it took me 2 whole nights to finish that. I hope you don't think it boring.**

****Doing a poll again here****

**I had all the major plot planned now (including the ending, oh I think you're gonna love it!) but I ran out of ideas of dating places for the couple so I'd like to know where and what you want them to go and to do. Some of you already gave me advice in the reviews and they inspired me a lot. So please give me more inspirations!**

**Big hugs for my dearest reviewers: ****_Angelikah, maryrose16, lele91, Mystery Girl3, AnnaTom23, Chelseab95, secile, nafertidi, iceSTEP, chillwithJyl, Ashilz, talv1914, Maaaarianne, goldenhummingbird, tippy093, klaroline4everlove and Guests._**** Your wonderful reviews tugged my lips when reading them and sometimes I think I must be dreaming to receive such kind words. Thank you so much.**

**To answer some questions from you (forgive me if I missed answering! I didn't do it on purpose, it's either I forgot typing answers in the AN or the answer will be a spoiler so I can't just tell.), I wasn't planning on mentioning Caroline's major in this story since I can't quite make up my mind on that and I don't find that piece of information necessary in this fic. For those who really wanna know, just note that she's probably doing literature and language (like me!) or drama, something not so close but not too far from Arts, but definitely not science haha. Another question is that how come I make Care fall for Klaus first. Well you might find that assumption not quite correct in this chapter since the couple are having mutual feelings for each other now, only Klaus hasn't been showing them because I was always writing Care's POV. Even I don't know who fall for who first (shame to admit haha), sometimes the story just comes to my fingers and I type them instead of plotting them. But here's one thing that's obvious- Klaus is having more feelings for Caroline than her for him now since he fancies her and she still doesn't know how to address her feelings for him. So let's just see how the story spins off.**

**I got another advice (which I'm not sure if I got it right) that college students in the UK get projects to do at home. I'm not sure whether this 'project' here means the drawings they do in Klaus' course or the midterm project mentioned in CH2. If it meant the latter, let's say Klaus was being harsh pushing the proposals of topics on the first day and they'll be doing presentations later. If it meant the former one, I'll have to admit, as an amateur art lover (linguistic major and literature minor student here!), I don't really know how art courses work in Britain so I was just writing as how art courses in my uni works. If it contradicts anything please just go with my ****_because Klaus said so_**** explanation haha. (I always enjoy writing the original family quarrels.)**

**Finally, I was quite surprise to find so many Kennette shippers among my readers! No offense but I really rarely pay attention to shippings besides Klaroline so either shipping will be fine with me. And since Bamon shipping was requested first but there were more Kennette requests… I don't really know which shipping I'm going for the ending now. Let's just see how the plot develops, no promises now, sorry!**

**See you next week then, double updates!**

**Preview: Klaroline in class and more Klaroline texting!**


	7. Read Messages, The Addict

Klaus was walking towards the studio, looking at his- or rather his brother's phone- when he bumped into a dark body.

"My bad, I wasn't paying atte-" He raised his head to apologize, only to froze at the recognition of the man in front of him, "what brings you here, Marcel?"

The other man cracked a grin, showing off shiny white teeth as he patted on his former master's back, "nothing in particular, old friend. I was just wondering if I could borrow some books from you, those I can't find in the library."

One side of his lips tugged, Klaus pointed him a disbelief look, "you expect me to buy that you're waiting outside my studio just for some ordinary books?"

"They're for my annual research." Marcel shrugged casually.

Klaus rested his hands in his pocket, composed as always but also aware of how important annual researches are and how they can effect one's promotion in a university , "remind me why I should lend you the goods and allow you the chance to steal that associate professor position from me?"

Their gaze met seriously before they both burst into laughter.

"Oh, come on. Like you've already gotten that position in your pocket." Marcel pulled his arm over Klaus' shoulder like old friends- and they actually were- as he continued, "If you win, you win thoroughly and honorably, not by attempting nasty little tricks. That, I learned from you."

Klaus chuckled while that very blonde entered the studio, passing them with a brief nod directed to Klaus.

"Caro-Miss Forbes!" He called for her halt, almost pronouncing her first name in public, "don't start drawing yet. Your wrist won't heal until this weekend."

She shot him a smile over her shoulder, restrained in the presence of a third party.

"Since when are you so nice to your students?" A half smile of curiosity graced Marcel's face as he queried in a playful tone, "you never cared about MY WRIST when I was working with you, gentleman."

Klaus snorted, "give it a rest, mate. I've got course to teach. Just text me the books you need and I'll have them sent to you assistant-what's his name?"

"Diego." Marcel answered gratefully with a click on his tongue, "cheers then. Equal and fair?"

"Equal and fair, mate." He confirmed.

* * *

"Midterm project presentations starts next week." Klaus announced at the podium with a list in hand, "one presentation each week. Starting with… Mr. Kim, you're doing Vincent Van Goh?"

Caroline's sight stuck on him all along. She massaged her wrist subconsciously and exchanged whispers with Bonnie during Klaus' explanation of the day's activity, but ever since she spotted that exact phone peeking from his seat pocket, which Henrik held when he asked for her number at the park, she just couldn't bring herself to keep her eyes off him.

That was a complicated feeling. A dilemma, or rather, a maze of wonders. Part of her wondered how come he was carrying his brother's phone with him while another part of her wished he was expecting a text from her. Yet another part of her wondered why she cared about this so much, cared about his every movement today, and about the fact that he wasn't the one to initiate a new round of text messaging, which she was acutely waiting for as well. Still another part of her wondered how come he'd never sent her a message from his own phone. It'd be easy for him to do so for with her number just a click away.

However, what bothered her the most was the reason why he'd been avoiding eye contact with her the whole session. It couldn't have been more natural for their eyes to meet a hundred times during that class, considering her constant attention to him. He must have been purposely hedging.

It was until the end of the course that Caroline decided she wasn't a resigned one to keep truth at bay. She was that headstrong girl who takes action to find out if anything was wrong, and if there was, she fixed it. She needed to know if she was the cause of his sudden attitude change after she walked in this studio. He had just personally paid her wrist concern 2 hours or so ago.

So when Klaus asked the class a question which she was sure no one else could possibly know the answer to, she shot her hand up high and waited eagerly for him to lay his eyes on her.

But all he did, was pasting a blank expression on his face, and kept on talking as if no one offered to respond, as if he couldn't see her and Bonnie's shocked look at the furthest end of the room. Before she could recover from the astonishment, he had dismissed the class and rushed out of the room.

"Hey, Care." Bonnie eyed worriedly at her, "you alright? Elena asked if we wanna go out for a girls' night."

* * *

"Maybe he just really didn't see your hand." Bonnie comforted on their way to the bar, "we're sitting at the edge of the studio."

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair in frustration as she checked on her phone for the 38th time that evening, the hint of defeat clear on her pale face, "no, I was lucky everyone else didn't saw my hand. We were sitting behind their back so they couldn't see Klaus humiliate me once again, but it's crystal clear that he was ignoring me, on purpose. I mean, how could him not see a hand from the back of the classroom? It's a freaking tiny studio, not a baseball stadium!"

"Caroline, no offense, but I think you're overreacting." Elena commented as she pushed open the door of the bar, pouring the beat of the music into their ears, "hasn't Klaus always been like that? It's not the first time for him to insult you. I'd be used to it by now if I were you."

"Elena!" Bonnie pierced the other brunette a scolding look but didn't make any effort to oppose what she said.

It wasn't until then that Caroline realized she hadn't get the chance to tell them about the tyrant's surprisingly tender massage remedy in his office and her encounter with the very same man on the weekend. She checked the inbox of her phone again, only to be disappointed by its emptiness again before spilling the peas hesitantly, "okay…here's something I gotta tell you. Promise you won't tell?"

* * *

"Oh. My. God. Caroline Forbes, did you just told us that you tamed the tyrant of art?" Elena exclaimed hysterically in their relatively quiet cornered booth, obviously drunk already.

Caroline downed her beer as she eyed the dark screen of her phone again, "look who's overreacting now. It's not _tame_, it's nothing, Elena. I just ran into him on city tour last Sunday."

"Ugh, don't be silly." The Gilbert girl snorted and poked Bonnie with her elbow, "ask Bon. The tyrant's never helped cure any student before, you might just broke the Guinness Record."

Bonnie was still wide-eyed from the story the blonde told them. She muttered after taking a few dramatic blinks, "she's right. I thought Klaus was just paying different attention to the newbie, but he is different to you. Like, _different_ different."

Caroline shook her head in denial, unlocking her Wifi-connected phone to receive emails, "you guys are being ridicu-"

Elena stuck her head against Caroline's cheek, curious about her friend's unexpected pause, "what?"

"Stefan's flight is set. He's arriving a week before Christmas." Carline beamed at the email she just received with true joy.

"Oh please save it, Elena Gilbert." Bonnie sneered good naturedly at the now blushing brunette, "I know you've had a crush for your roommate's best friend ever since you caught a glance of him on skype last time, but this really isn't time for flushing now. Caroline just dropped a jumbo bombshell on us, and I really couldn't care less about that Stefan guy. It's Niklaus Mikaelson we're talking about here!"

"Bonnie!" It was Elena's turn to pout and call her friend's name in that scolding tone now.

Caroline laughed as they bickered, for the first instant that day she felt carefree and relaxed. She arched her brows as she asked for beer refill, "why don't you tell us about your date, Bonnie?"

"Ah-ha! Tables turn, Bennett!" Head thrown back and glass held high, Elena cheered for the love-life update she'd been waiting too long to hear.

Bonnie's beautiful caramel colored face was graced with a glowing smile. Apparently deeply in love, her cheeks reddened before even putting her respond to words, "Well, we've been going out for a while and I think it won't be long before we settle down. Prepare yourselves for a dinner with my boyfriend."

"A boyfriend to-be, Bonnie Bennett. That's good for y-" Caroline was going to congratulate her before her phone beeped and her hand rushed to it in no time.

"Seriously, Care, we're enjoying a girls' night and you've been restlessly checking your phone. I have a feeling that Bonnie's not the only one with a secret date here-" Having witnessed the expression on Caroline's face turned from nervous to anticipation, from anticipation to delightfulness, Elena couldn't help but caught her off guard by snatching the gadget away from her. Her sentence stopped abruptly as she laid her eyes on the context.

_Wrist better, love?_

"Who the hell is this Henrik on your contact list?" Elena lowered the phone to access Bonnie a shared sight of it as she inquired, addressing the name at the _From_ column.

"Must be a Brit, Elena. Only British _blokes_ add charm names to every sentence they say or type," Bonnie, also lost in alcohol, grabbed away the phone and started typing, "Much…better… thank…you… wink face or 3 u, which do you prefer, Caroline, or should I say, LOVE?"

Caroline shot up into standing posture in panic, body leaning forward, hands waving helplessly in the air, unable to retrieve her phone, "give it back!"

Entertainment boosted by the blonde's severe reaction, Elena hugged herself as she faked a kissing move, "XXOO is much better."

"Agreed." Bonnie grinned wickedly at the owner of the phone as her nail-polished fingers shifted swiftly on its screen, ignoring Caroline's desperate cry, "No, Bonnie, no! You can't send that kind of message to him!"

"Oops," Bonnie impishly pasted a false apologetic smile on her face after her last tap on the screen was done, "message sent. There's no going back now."

In despair, Caroline's whole body sagged onto the table like a shrinking balloon and began crashing her forehead on the solid tabletop the minute she touched its surface. "I could use a giant hole on the ground. Bury me and never let me out of it, no matter how hard I try talking sweet later." She groaned, more to herself than to her pranky friends.

"So are you going to tell us about this _LOVELY_ guy or not?" wiggling her brows, Elena pulled a mischievous smile from ear to ear, but was soon interrupted by the beep of the phone, "wow, this one replies fast! He does like you."

"_That's good news._ Aw, how sweet of him. _You shall be fine to start drawing in class by next Monday-_" Caroline took the chance and snapped back her phone from Elena before the brunette could finish her reading out the text and sentence by sentence comment, covering it securely against her chest with both palms.

"OMG, Caroline are you dating your classmate?" Elena asked in astonishment as the truth quickly dawned on her, "no, no, no, this can't be."

Still in the dark, Bonnie frowned, "what, Elena?"

The brunette mumbled her assumption after scanning her roommate's stiffened figure up and down in disbelief, "I think it's from Klaus."

* * *

"All these time you've been phone-dating Klaus and you never thought about telling us?" Bonnie teased as she took another sip of her Tequila, "you naughty, dirty girl!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, this is not a phone date! I just happened to text my lecturer, that's all. And it's just been two days, the second haven't even started yet." Caroline sighed in frustration, arms crossed in front of her chest. If she wanted them to bury and hide her from the rest of the world 10 minutes ago, than she definitely couldn't wait a second for committing suicide now.

"The dreaded, notorious, bad-tempered lecturer who's been humiliating you the whole time?"

"Through his brother's phone?" The girls across the table bit back at the same time.

Caroline's shoulders dropped. As if the condition wasn't awkward enough, the phone beeped again, making the brunettes burst in to girlish giggles, "go on, check it!" "Don't back up on our account."

She whined as she unlocked her phone.

"What did he say?" They asked unbelievably simultaneously, as if they were some magical twins and this whole situation was a cheesy late night sitcom show for bored old maids to chew her popcorn to.

"_Did I upset you at class today_?" Caroline recited the text as she was asked. Knowing too well that she couldn't afford the consequence of remaining silence on this torturous court composed by Judge Bennett and Gilbert, she had already abandoned herself.

Elena drummed her fingers on the table excitedly, "He must be concerned! It's been half an hour since he sent you the last text and you haven't replied yet."

"Which was mainly postponed by the devastating interrogation I was undergoing." Caroline said sarcastically, hands ready to type her response.

"For god's sake, no!" Elena slapped on her hand immediately, suddenly turned into mode _love consultant_, "make him wonder, let him wait. You spent your whole afternoon and evening asking yourself why he act indifferent. It's your chance to have him suffer. He'll volunteer to hand you the answer you've been waiting for on a silver platter eventually."

Both Caroline and Bonnie's jaw fell at the shocking advice they just heard, "aren't you a bitchy high school boy-killer, Elena Gilbert, you heartless Don Juan."

"We better keep those booze away from her. She's her split personality when wasted."

"Oh shut up, you two!" Elena performed an eye roll and stood up, dragging the other two girls with her, "what are we doing, gossiping about men all night? Come on, it's girls' night, let's go dance!"

* * *

Caroline would be lying had she said she wasn't surprised by this other side of Elena's, the drunk one. Over the years Stefan had always claimed her the optimistic control freak. "You'd fly all the way down the handle if obtaining 9 unicorns and a rainbow when actually 10 and 2 were required," was how he described her. Although never admitting, she secretly took his point and had never, ever thought that there would someday be one person, well, if Klaus not included, to beat her on said characteristic. However, it seemed that Elena was the all pushy and demanding and bossy one in certain situations.

Elena had forced the two of them danced nonstop, song after song and any type of rest, either a sip of liquor or a brief toilet getaway were officially forbidden.

Caroline relied on both effort and luck to sneak back to their booth. "I should really go try out for the next _Charlie's Angel_ movie, God bless my escape talent." Unleashing her soring feet from those killing heels, she murmured to herself as she took a few peeks at the dance floor in case Elena discovered her absence.

She picked up her phone and swiped on the screen absentmindedly, a tiny flashing balloon on the screen cuing new texts.

_I know my behavior this afternoon must be confusing. Please allow me a chance to explain myself. (9:06)_

She flipped through the messages from _Henrik_ eagerly.

_Too angry to answer, sweetheart? (9:13)_

The fruity sense of revenge crossed Caroline's mind. Maybe Elena was right about making him suffer for waiting. She never intended to let him wait, not too long precisely speaking- she wasn't that kind of girl- but the knowledge that she wasn't the only one captured in this…thing, or, relationship (is it?) was reassuring. Well, at least he was eager to hear from her too. She kept on reading.

_Caroline,_ so now he was calling her Caroline. _It doesn't matter if you don't want to have this conversation for now. It's been an hour since you last responded and it's starting to worry me for this isn't what you usually do. Just send me something, even a word can do, to let me know you're safe. There are some certain areas that are dangerous in London. (9:32)_

She had to hold back a giant, threatening smile reading that concerned message._ He was worried, for her._ She might not know why she cared about this simple detail so much but it was like a firefly, warming and touching and lighting the depth of her heart. She liked it.

Noting that the last message was sent 20 minutes ago, she hurriedly sent back an_ I'm fine, just occupied_ and waited anxiously for his response, mile-long legs dangling under the booth table like an innocent girl waiting for her favorite ice cream car to come by.

Yet there was none. 5 minutes, a quarter, even 30 minutes had passed but her phone remained still and motionless.

She thought he was the one who was having a _this isn't what you usually do _complaint_._

Caroline had never experienced this. She had never been this uneasy, not for a mail. Not her ex-boyfriends, not her parents, not even her college application result notification. She was Miss Mystic Falls after all, and a girl like her should never let such trifle bother her to this extent. But now there she was, enchanted, obsessed, nervous, having no idea what to do with her hands and feet.

Then she had even swallowed up her pride and gone into serious self-debate on whether she should take action and be the one who called back or not.  
It was that moment, when she was about to press that green phone graphic beside the name _Henrik_, that a strange number ranged her phone suddenly.

Caroline frowned as she lifted the gadget to her ear suspiciously, "hello?"

"Caroline, is that you?" The familiar voice flowed from the other side of the line.

"The one and only, Klaus. Why are you calling with this number, it's-"

"Sorry to cut you short, love, but I shall explain that to you when things aren't so urgent."

She finally sensed that unusual, fretful layer weaved in his tone, "what's wrong?"

"…Henrik's gone."

* * *

**AN/**

**Hi there! See this a-bit-longer chapter as a thank-you for I'm so so so super extremely excited to announce that ****this fic has achieved its 100****th**** review milestone**** with last chapter! I never dreamed that there would be so many of you (90-something followers? I must be dreaming!) reading my writings and reaching 100 reviews within mere 6 chapters was just beyond imagination! ****It might not seem significant to others but it means a lot to a newbie author like me****! ****Thanks to every fav, follow and review****, and a gigantic hug for those who helped pass that 100-reviews line by reviewing last chapter: lele91, maryrose16, Angelikah, LoveDeb, Mystery Girl3, goldenhummingbird, klaroline4everlove, talv1914, Chelseab95, tippy093, Ashilz, redbudrose and Guests.**

**You are all part of this amazing miracle and without your support I wouldn't be updating so frequently, so please stick with me and keep on sharing your thoughts with me in the future!**

**To answer some of the requests from last time, I'm afraid there won't be Care's history other than the brief, already told ones in this fic. From earlier chapters we already know that her parents were divorced, her mother was too busy working to pay her attention and Stefan was the one who helped her through all those hard times. For now, I don't see any possible development for more of that in the major plot that I've made up, so I'll have to say sorry to that request. But who knows? Maybe some idea will just pop into my head and I'll come up with some Forbes history (we have to be fair after all, you know, like, equal and fair?). Let's just say ****_No promises for now_**** again.**

**I know we're lacking of actual Klaroline interaction this chapter and Elena might seem a little high and OOC here, but trust me it's the alcohol to blame, she'll go back to her usual self and there will be packs of Klaroline next chapter, so stay with me and hold on tight guys!**

**I posted my first one-shot, a Klaroline one of course, on Wednesday and please go check out if you're interested. It's quite hot in my opinion.**

**Preview: The history of the Mikaelsons.**

**Thanks again, please review, and I'll see you next time!**

**-A Xx**


	8. History, the cold narrator

To escape the thundering beats in the bar, Caroline rushed out to the street with her phone on one of her ears, the other covered with her hand, "what did you say? I couldn't hear you! I was in a bar, it was too loud in there."

"I was asking if you know where Henrik would go, love." This time Klaus' voice flew successfully into her ear, dressed with a hint of anxiety, "Kol- you know him, right?- couldn't find him at my mother's when he got there late-again- to pick him up-_ shut up, Kol! Unlike you, trouble-causing, someone's trying to talk here!_"

His words were cut off for a while and she could hear the far off nervous family quarrel on the other side of the line.

"We've already called the police since we couldn't find him anywhere," he resumed talking, huffing and puffing, she could almost imagine the worried knot between his brows as he dashed through lane after lane in this city in search of his beloved baby brother, "the officer suggested us to reach a friend of his for clues-"

"And you thought of me." Caroline finished the sentence for him before he did, somehow delighted secretly. Of course he'd thought of her. According to his own words, she was practically the only friend Henrik had outside his family. She was glad that he turned to her anway, and the thought that she could actually come in handy even thrilled her more, despite the emergency.

"Yes." He replied, "I know there's no way he'd be with you right now since you were enjoying the night before I interrupted, but I was just hoping… maybe Henrik happened to inform you of somewhere he wanted to go or places he was interested in."

Caroline dove deep hunting in her memories but failed to come up with any idea after a long thought- so long that Klaus even had to take a peek at the screen of his phone to check if she was still there.

"I've got no idea, sorry." She admitted with disappointment- disappointed with herself- while waving at the girls, who'd discovered her absence and followed her out the bar worriedly, to stay quiet.

"Never mind, dear. Go back to what you were doing. Have fun." Klaus concluded, ready to end the call and continue his quest for his lost sibling but was stopped by a quick _'where are you'_ question before he pressed the red phone graphic on the screen, "tell me where you are so I can help."

There was a short pause before his brain was functioning language again, "Love, you don't have to. We can handle this, my siblings and I. You should go back to dancing and having fun with your friends."

Caroline gestured to Bonnie so that she could help her fetch the purse and coat she'd left at their booth as she persuaded, "Klaus, I want to help. It's not like I'm able to go on partying all night knowing that lovely boy's still missing anyway. And just because I had no clue now doesn't mean I won't come up with something helpful later. But that would mean nothing if I'm not in the rescue squad."

After rounds of self-debate and contemplation, Klaus finally gave in, knowing this headstrong girl who'd grew on him through her persistence in class was too stubborn to stay out of something she'd already poked her nose in, "fine. We're now at my place and we're separating to go searching. I'll text you the address and once you arrived we can go out as a team."

* * *

A slight taste of guilt packaged Caroline's heart when she felt the relief of being able to see Klaus again.

_What's wrong with you? You've just seen him in class today and the adorable Henrik is missing! How could you feel like that under such condition?_ She scolded herself as she strode across the street. But if she was telling the truth, she would confess that she was a little too assuaged to see him making eye contact with her again. _Oh, those greyish-blue eyes._

"Ah, you're here." Klaus greeted her with a quick smile on his tensed face. Seeing him up close, she spotted his messy hair- those sand-blond curls had always been messy in a good, even sexy, way- under the faint street lamp light. The stubble that had always graced his jaw and made her longing to touch had somehow crept even wilder during the last few hours since she'd last seen him. Even his voice screamed his disquietude, "let's get going, shall we?"

She nodded and barely managed to hold the jump when she felt his warm hand steamed away the chill night air as it found its way to her blade bone. He steered her on the sidewalk at a rather keyed-up pace, "Kol has gone seeking the places we think Henrik might go and Elijah, another brother of mine, was contacting the police. We left Bekah, my sister, at ours and my eldest brother at my mother's in case he returns to either place. Now we go explore the streets near both houses."

They took a turn at the intersection as the reflection of her watch glistened under the bronze street light and marked half past ten. That was when the contentment of her reunion with the guy she'd been thinking of all day long ebbed and fret flowed in, "it's getting cooler."

"It's so dark. Henrik must be afraid now. Where can he be?" She couldn't stop her worried mumbles as she looked up at the velvet dark sky where few stars were glittering vaguely, "how did you lost him?"

It wasn't until Klaus' silence overwhelmed her again and reminded her of the torturous afternoon that she realized how rude she must had sounded, "oh my god I didn't mean to blame or pry. You don't have to answer that, I was being an idiot and it was really not my place to ask."

"No, no, it's fine. Really, that wasn't what I mean, love." He quickly squeezed a smile out, assuring. The remaining furrows between his knitted brows triggered the desire, the need in her, wanting to iron those worries away from that glorious face with her fingertips.  
"I was just considering how to tell the story." He took a halt behind her unexpectedly, the wet brick pavement glimmering under him like the twinkling stars accentuated the glowing moon above them. He managed to crack a cackle from his tensed throat, joking, "it's not something I tell on daily basis."

He then cleared his throat in the way a bard did before narrating his poetic tales, "because of some family issues, we- my siblings and I- made a deal with our parents and my eldest brother that we own Henrik's custody as long as we allow our mother to keep his company for a few hours on weekdays. Henrik goes to my mother's in late afternoons and Elijah, Rebekah, Kol and I take turns picking him up every evening. It was Kol's turn today and he was late, as usual. The servants at Mother's claimed they thought Henrik had left with Kol but the truth was when my stupid brother arrived he had already disappeared."

Caroline was a little paralyze by the information Klaus'd just presented her. That was definitely not usual family drama, but what she knew was too limited for her to process the full view of this enigma. She might be prying but curiosity got the better of her and since Klaus seemed to have prepared himself already, she decided to ask what she wanted to know- about him- anyway, "may I ask what family issue is that?"

He exhaled at the question and resumed moving, eyes roaming here and there seeking his precious lost family member, "that's a long and heavy story. You sure you want to know?"

Looking at the sincere smirk on his face, she knew somehow the tyrant felt safe enough to pour himself to her. Honored, she smiled back, "go on, your secrets will be safe with me."

He chuckled at her boldness, turning to face her as they walked with his fingers covering that amused grin on his lips and jaw, "well, to start with, my father, the famous Mikael Mikaelson, is actually not my father."

* * *

"So when Mikael found out I was what people called _'a by-product of an unfaithful affair'_ and I wasn't biologically his son, I was already 15 and had been attending social occasions as a Mikaelson quiet frequently already. There was no way he was going to kick me out of the family, that'd be a huge humiliation to the family's name. So he _tolerated_ me. _Allowed _me to keep my last name." Klaus related in an indifferent tone, as if he wasn't telling his own misfortune, as if he couldn't care less for having a tragic, dramatic adolescence. However, the truth was, Caroline could read it from his telltale behavior since they'd met, pretty much the contrary. She couldn't help but wonder if this was something she, a student who was practically an entire stranger to him just a month and a half ago, should acquire. Yet he kept on talking, like he was secretly fleeing away from some haunting beast, and the only way of escape was keeping his mind and tongue running, "he'd always been a strict father and I'd always been that black sheep in the family, unable to meet his expectations like my siblings did. He went even more furious and hated me even more when he found out, and the rage overpowered him. One day he decided one punching bag was all but enough so he targeted his wrath towards both my mother and I. He abused her, mentally and physically, by requesting a pure Mikaelson newborn to substitute for me, the bastard son."

Caroline's head snapped to his side at the bombshell he threw on her. When she was querying mere minutes ago, she was prepared for some family drama. But not this kind of drama. This was more of a gigantic scandal, a tensely plotted tragedy you usually connected William Shakespeare's name to.

"My mother was born a valetudinarian, you can imagine how the ill health did good to her mind. She became quite oversensitive and melancholy through the years. Even her doctor was surprised she could give birth to so many of us in her state when Kol was born, and that was way before Mikael's discovery." Klaus sighed, tugging on Caroline's hand to take another turn with him at the end of the lane, "Under that condition, Miakael's deeds sent her over the brink of sanity. Solid 10 years of torture, he first tried to make her pregnant by way of what he called _traditional,_ like mating boars. When the doctors announced her body had finally passed child-bearing age, he obsessively resorted to artificial insemination."

Thunderstricken, Caroline could barely hold her jaw at its rightful place listening to the reckless acts of a vengeance-blinded insane man.

_How, how did he get through those years, the dark ages he was avoiding to tell now, when his mother was caged in that living-hell and he could only be treated worse?_

"I heard women suffer from artificial insemination therapies nowadays, and it was only worse several years ago. Dose after dose of hormone injection. Joints soring here and there. Vomits. Swelling." He paused a while sorting out his own thoughts, and finally as if disgusted by his inner off-screen, he wrinkled his nose before stating, "not that I was my mother's biggest fan- and she did ruin my life in every way she could- I can see why she eventually took the easier way of self-liberation. She simply turned her sanity off after Henrik was born. It was like the baby was the suspending support she was clinging on to, and when he finally came to birth successfully, she collapsed."

"At first she couldn't bear breathing same air with me- I guess my existence itself reminded her of the derailment and the consequences she had to deal with. Then it got worse, even a single glimpse of the siblings who were close to me gave her panic shocks. We figured it would be the best if Elijah, Rebekah, Kol and I moved out by then. But we couldn't leave Henrik behind with them, not with a lunatic couple. They'd already made our lives a hell of a mess, we couldn't let them mess with Henrik's. So we made a deal with Mikael. Since being with my baby brother seemed to help Mother a little, Mikael promised he would leave us alone as long as Henrik visits them frequently, the rest you already knew. Aside from that, the only family she could stand having around besides her favorite son, my eldest brother Finn, was ironically Mikael, the man who crucified, ill-treated her. Maybe deep down in her heart she does…" His voice faded, dispersed by the cool night breeze. He couldn't bring himself to pronounce that word out loud when he didn't believe it actually existed.

Then he heard a sniff beside him.

He turned fully towards her, concern written all over his face, "are you cold, darlin- Are you…crying?"

She held her head up high, moisture in her jewelry eyes defying gravity, "no, of course I'm not."

Truth be told, she really should find a place where no one could see her and cry that story a river. She got Klaus' situation, the hurt hidden under those well covered narrations where the protagonists didn't even sound like him. She knew it too well, even when he'd grown to convince himself that he didn't care. He might be able to fool himself, but he couldn't fool the expert when it comes to how painful it was to have a pair of not-so-understanding parents, to constantly long for their attention, to always be not good enough for anyone- not even herself- to feel tired of being rejected and to finally give up hope.

But she had Stefan. He was the savior of her light, while all Klaus got was that consuming void, alone.

Such condition isn't something you can discuss with your siblings, so he was definitely on his own through those years of miseries.

That was the source of those gloomy touches, the silent grief, the screaming loneliness she'd detected in his drawings.

Oh how she wanted to speak comfort to him, to warm and patch that cold-shouldered, burnt-out fire of heart only she knew how and where it was wounded. But she knew better than that.

Now that she learned his history and it dawned on her just how similar they were in that darkest corner of their souls, she knew the alpha male in him was too proud, too stubborn to be soothed, not yet. So she was not going to cry for him, not now. Her tears could stream brooks and rivers for him when he wasn't around, then at least some one on earth cared and cried for him sincerely.

"Caroline…" His fingers found its way to her cheeks. Stroking her soft facial skin, his heart ached as his brows furrowed like pastries- he didn't felt ache-worthy when he told his story, he didn't felt like that even when he was part of it. Yet she felt it for him, instead of him. And just the thought of her doing so spiked his heart with a mixture of relief and acute pain. "It's no big deal, love. I had Henrik. He admired me of all the Mikaelsons the most, and I adore him very much in return. We had each other."

"It couldn't be the same-" Caroline protested, weirdly for him when it was he who was cutting her short, "Henrik showed me, the whole family in fact, that when people share certain blood bond, unconditional love and the concept family was possible."

He kept on rambling about the beautiful times he'd shared with Henrik as his soothing palm ran up and down her arm. In time her mind gradually settled and she'd recollected enough of composure to notice how many streets they'd checked and the fact that they didn't have a single clue about that missing little boy.

"One time he chose us a secret ground for it was one of our favorite places in London, and he said he could stay there forever if there were just the two of us…" Klaus seemed absorbed in his sweet, heart-warming memory of his brother and it was the ring of his phone that pulled him back to reality, "hello? Yes, officer, I am his brother. No, so far we haven't found him yet."

Caroline looked and listened closely as Klaus conversed and recited the officer's instructions, "no, we've looked everywhere. The places we usually take him to, the places he might want to go, both residences… we've searched them all. Yes, we've sought his favorite places…"

Originally she was, shamefully, fascinated by how his perfect lips wiggled as he talked.

_How could you still care about such trivial things now? We have a lost boy to save, and he'd just told you his miserable adolescence! But but but his lips are just so alluring they aren't trivial at all! You don't see magnificent, beautiful lips like that every day, everywhere-_

But then there were some certain words that was now and then rolling on his tongue that rang on her. She remembered, she was once told of someone's favorite place in London, too…

"I know where he is!" Caroline cried once she recalled that memory.

Klaus quickly lifted his phone, anticipation glowing in his eyes.

"He's at the statue of Peter Pan, in Hyde Park," she claimed, "he said it was your favorite place, both of you."

**AN/**

**Single or not, happy Valentine's Day guys!**

**I feel terribly sorry for having you wait for so long with that cliffhanger I left last chapter. I was fighting this bitchy writer's block on this fic and the two-parter I posted last week wasn't easy to write. I can only hope this Klaroline packed V-day present chapter makes things up.**

**How do you feel about this chapter? And the Mikaelson history? Tell me by reviewing! Just in case any of you misunderstood, Caroline isn't drunk in this chapter. She drank a little in last chapter but Elena was the only wild girl there haha. Perfectionist Miss MF is never going to let Klaus see her drunk side when they're still uncertain hehehe;-)**

**I guess we've finally reached a new stage after this chapter! Phew, believe me, the slow-burn is not only killing you. I'm suffering for it too! Sometimes it's kinda hard to proceed the storyline when the characters are bonding slowly. But what can I say? We all know the couple fell slowly for each other in the show and I'm not rushing to ruin that. I just loooooove the feeling when I read the ending of a story and find how far the couple've gone from getting to know each other little by little to dating then finally epic love. I mean, I love to see how couples grow and face problems together, and it's what draws me into certain relationships and stories. The endings are, of course, important and exciting but what matters is the process.**

**You might want to check out the 2-parter I posted last week, ****_The Ebb and Flow_****, and the fresh fic, ****_Lost_****. The latter is an experimental try where I mixed Klaroline with ****_Avatar_****.**

**Last but not the least, thanks to the reviewers: ****_chillwithJyl, Tilly-Luv, goldenhummingbird, worldwarIII, talv1914, Chelseab95, Angelikah, jessnicole, tinkerbell988, AnnaTom23, lele91, klaroline4everlove, redbudrose, tippy093, Rachel, ashilz, Mystery Girl3, MJTE, au courant _****and****_ Guests_****. I really don't know how to express the gratitude I felt when receiving reviews. What's even better is that with each update I get more reviews. Thank you thank you thank you all!**

**Preview: Klaus explains why he ignored Care in class.**

**PS. Just watched the latest episode of season6. Well, I can't say that's the best V-day present I've ever got. (It sucked!) That's why we hate the CANON, urrrrgh. But, Julie, don't you think this is a perfect timing for some blonde to just turn it off and go on a NOLA spree to search her true self or something?**


	9. Neverland, the buried childhood

**I rarely put an AN before the story itself for I don't want my rambling to disturb the reading, but here is one serious point I want to make clear and I really hope everyone sees this, so…**

**I know I'm not updating as frequently as I did when I started this fic, which was 1 update or more/ week. But I've been trying my best to keep the update frequency at 1 update per week or at least every other week. There were times when I was just too busy or my condition was so bad if I wrote and posted it would only be doing harm to the flow (and since I value this fic a lot that's the last thing I'd do) and I really feel sorry when I said so.**

**Just please try to be gentle when you urge for the updates.**** I know no one meant to offend and most of the urging reviews were polite and sweet. I'm not asking you not to review or urge****, in fact as a reader I do that myself and as a writer I love the hurries and pushes- it motivates and inspires, but when they become too harsh they're actually killing the muse. Again, my readers have my ultimate gratitude and love for giving feedbacks, reviews, motivations, discussion and questions, but please please please try to be gentle. Thanks for reading, enjoy!**

* * *

Klaus watched Caroline sprang out of his car before it was fully stopped. She dashed towards the entrance as he quickly stalled the vehicle and got to his feet. He was just going to tell her not to enter the dark park without him sticking by closely when she took a sudden halt and turned abruptly, "where is that statue again?"

He knew he shouldn't be chuckling at this point, when his brother was still missing and no one could promise if said little boy was really there beside Peter Pan's foot, but what Caroline always did was surprising him and lightening up his nerves.

_What was that saying? Ah, yes, "some people come to your life, and make everything brighter."_

And, to tell the truth, once she named the spot, he somehow knew that there would be no more wild goose chase, that this was where Henrik was hiding. Not that he wasn't rushing to get his brother back, though.

"This way, love." He missed the tiny jump Caroline performed when his fingers found their way to hers and wrapped them gently to tug her as he led the way.

They strode swiftly through the now dark and scary bushes, trees and benches hand in hand but fright was the last emotion Caroline felt. Her heart was pounding for the connection he was sharing with her; her mind was fuzzy for all the information it just received and all the feelings- the compassion, the sadness, and something unknown- it just generated; her legs were shuffling on the grass hastily under the urge of finding Henrik.

And when she really did see that boy, huddling under a faintly glowing light, she freed herself from Klaus' grasp and darted to him, arms wide open and welcoming, "oh my god, Henrik, we found you!"

Klaus sighed in relief at the sight of his brother. Now that he knew his brother was safe and sound and found, he was calm enough to pull out his phone to inform his siblings before Elijah gone mad and had the police blow London over when searching. He joined the reunion after notifying their situation to each of his brothers briefly, "Kol said he'll-"

His words were unfortunately interrupted by the bombshell his baby brother threw on the witnesses (only the 3 of them actually) present at the _scene of 'crime'_, "Caroline, will you marry me?"

If you'd ask, Klaus would say the whole proposal was quite impeccable in any aspect. They had a mid-October-night sky full of shinny stars, a fairytale bronze statue which would serve as a wonderful monument, a perfectly selected site with trees and flowers and birds and squirrels. The groom was kneeling (more like squatting, truth be told) with moved tears in those huge puppy eyes; the bride was hugging him passionately and just a few seconds ago she was running (let's ignore whose hand she was holding for the moment) in search of him like there'd be no tomorrow if any harm came to him; the lighting was romantic in a fancy-French-restaurant way. It could be any girl's lifelong _the question_ dream… if only the groom wasn't his five-year-old baby brother.

Caroline seemed to be shocked as well, "wha-what?"

"I said," Henrik gave the grown-ups a grumpy pout for their inability to understand him, "I want to marry you, Caroline."

"Yes, we- I heard you, sweetie," Caroline stuttered, eyes shifting between the Mikaelson brothers, asking for the older one's help, "I was just confu-curious, what made you wanna… pop up that question?"

Henrik stood up on his tip toe and reached to wrap his arms around Caroline's neck, "you found me, you and Nik, at my favorite place. That makes you both my favorite people. And people want to live happily ever after with their favorites, Nik is already my brother so he can't go anywhere, and the only way to be with you forever… the only way to be with some girl who's not your sister forever is marrying her, I learned that from TV!"

"Oh, I see." Caroline patted soothingly on the boy's back as she send numerous SOS frown signals silently to Klaus, who was trying to hold back his laughter behind his fist too hard to spare her a hand.

"Well, dear brother, if you'd paid your TV enough attention then you'd notice most people propose with a ring." When Klaus finally managed to swallow the laugh, he marched towards them and gave Henrik a _buddy pat_, which he hadn't been planning on doing in a few years before everything happened tonight, "since you're not prepared well enough and Kol offered to come pick you up, I suggest we leave the question to another day."

But Henrik never replied. All they were receiving was his firm breath as a silent answer.

"He must be tired." Caroline stood up with the boy in her arms, exhaling with a smile, "at least that saved me from the awkward moment."

Klaus chuckled at Caroline's sense of humor, "congratulations anyway, not many women get to get proposals at such a young age, school girl."

"Seriously?" She gaped with annoyance written conspicuously on her face, almost ready to start a long missing quarrel.

"Shhhhh-" Klaus pointed at the sleeping form in her arms with another on his pursed lips, eyes wide with a playful glow. His hand once again found its way to her blade bone and he started steering her to the nearest exit of the park, quietly whispering, "Kol will come to drive Henrik home and I'll drive you."

Caroline narrowed her eyes before she finally gave in and burst into a light cackle, "leaving your student in the lurch, huh? I'm gonna remember this, Klaus Mikaelson."

"Ouch, sweetheart," Klaus kept on playing by faking a wound on his chest, boyish dimples disclosing the pleased mood he was in, "it wasn't my fault that gorgeous ladies like you draw too much admiration."

"Sweet talker." She commented, secretly hoping the dim light was helping with the blush.

* * *

"I know it's none of my business…but do you know why Henrik… ran away from, um, home?" After handing Henrik over to Kol and made sure everything was fine, Caroline asked once they got into Klaus' car.

"Don't be silly, love." He smiled as he buckled up, "you're the only reason we get to find Henrik without official help, you have every right to know what was going on."

He joked as he turned facing her in the driver's seat, "you already know the secrets of my family after all, adding another to the list makes no difference."

"I guess there's no going back then." Caroline assented, shrugging.

Klaus turned back and started driving, sight firm towards somewhere far forward, "did I mention we were forcing him to stay over at my mother's this Wednesday?"

"That explains everything." Caroline nodded with astonishment, stealing peeks at his direction every now and then, "why would you do that?"

"It's kind of complicated, I'd say." He muttered as he raised his arms rotating the wheel, showing off lean muscles on his sleeve-rolled forearms, "we really shouldn't have decided everything on his behalf."

Caroline could sense the ending hint of this conversation from his tensed features and whitened knuckles. She secretly sighed and decided to change the topic hurriedly, unaware of the little difference between the old and the new one, "do you think Henrik went to the Peter Pan statue in escape of reality or anything? You know, like never growing up, or fairytales…"

She kept on rambling for a while and finally slapped and covered her face with her palms in shame, "gosh I'm sorry, I did it again, right?"

"It's fine, really." He stopped at the red light, assuring smile on his face as he leaned in to her with his elbow propped between the driver's and passenger's seat.

Caroline had totally no idea at which point had the atmosphere grown so tensed. His blue eyes were staring at her directly and closely, unknown sparkles gracing them a charming shade; his firm yet intimate gesture was something she could never had imagined just a few weeks ago, her blade bone still burning for the touches they bore tonight; his lips parted into elegant arches surrounded by those inviting stubbles in the color of his messy short curls… it was at that moment the tension between them approached overloading and she thought had she not come up with some distraction she could snap, had she not break the silence the truth of the sentiment she'd been refusing to address would emerge, had she not tear her gaze from his he would… kiss her.

"You said you'd tell me about this afternoon." Caroline popped.

She swore she caught a flash of disappointment- the snake lost its prey disappointment, don't get her wrong- on his face when he motioned back to driving posture and resumed driving, "yes, that I did promise you."

He inhaled, wearing that trademark smug smirk, "I just didn't want the students to detect the drastic change of our relationship."

"What, so you could just ignore me like I was a giant cube of air? And turn a blind eye on my raised hand when you ask that stupid question?" The grievance Caroline had been suffering since they last met exploded all at once, causing an acute inrush of emotions, "you can't just give me that lame excuse! Because last time I checked, it's okay for teachers to befriend students. Or did things changed so rapidly that I didn't follow?"

Klaus looked at her angry face in awe. Never had anyone in his life own such energy in them. The glow, the spirit, the sense of life… she even looked attractive when she was in rage.

"Well, it's my pleasure that my anger amused you!" She scoffed at his wide grin, secretly reminding herself not to fall for those appealing dimples.

With a quiet announcement of arrival, he pulled over at the side of the street and lifted his hands in the air as if surrendering, "no need to overreact, love. I was just trying to protect you."

She sneered in frustration, "ugh, protect me? It's not like you-"

"Are we doing this again, love?" He folded his arms in front of this broad chest as he cut her short, "I thought we'd passed the constantly arguing phase."

"That was what I thought!" She dramatically faked a sarcastic, delightful smile and started reaching for her bag, ready to alight, "which is exactly why you shouldn't be acting like an ass in class today."

Klaus locked the doors with the driver's control before she could take another action, "I'm not letting you leave before I explain myself fully."

"This is ridiculous!" Caroline exclaimed and threw her hands in the air. She was going to argue again when she turned towards him but was only reminded of his tyrant essential and her once feisty self by his intense glare.

Unbuckling himself, he retrieved the killing scowl and inquired calmly, "now that you're done, is it my turn to speak?"

Intimidated but still refusing to show the white feather, Caroline focused her sight outside the window instead of making any comment.

She heard his arrogant chuckle before he started talking, "I simply didn't want the others to know how much we've improved our relationship. Yes, teachers are allowed to befriend with their students, _but last time I checked_, I was nicknamed the tyrant of art and as far as I know, tyrants don't make friends with their inferiors- not that I take you as my inferior."

Oh how dare he throw her own words back to her! "Well, it seemed like a micro problem to me, _Mr. Mikaelson_. _Last time I checked_, people were- according to Bonnie- wondering how harsh you were to me when you dragged me into your office! Thanks for fighting with me in front of that deliver boy from class! He told everyone about how poor I was." She shouted, still not looking at his direction, "you could have just acted normal with me today, like how you treated Bonnie and the others!"

He shook his head, fingers rubbing the furrows between his brows, "It would still be a noticeable change of attitude. Don't you understand? I can't suddenly start treating you like I treat the others just because you hurt your wrist! That'd be what your classmates see, and what would they think?"

"Then you shouldn't have acted like a jerk at the beginning of the semester! I know I wasn't good as the others but you could- you could… argh! Why did you have to scold me and humiliate me then when you could eventually come to accept me now?" She snapped her head towards him, words shooting fiercely like a machinegun.

That question stunned Klaus. He didn't know how to respond. He couldn't. He wouldn't even if he had known. All he had in his mind was how much he wanted to obstruct her words by blocking her mouth with his, and that he had to suppress this impulse with every ounce of will or she would be scared away.

Both of them remained silent for the next few minutes, the only noise in the tiny airtight space was Caroline's furious huff and puff.

When he finally broke the speechlessness he surprised both of them, "it was where I buried my childhood in him, and he helped kept the secrets. It was my Neverland rather than his… I swore I'd give him a carefree childhood, but I guess I failed him."

He didn't have to mention what place he was talking about. She looked up into his eyes from her side, mind racing a mile a minute in search of what to say under such rapid change of subject, "I…"

Yet it seemed a respond wasn't what he wanted. It was his time to look outside the widow, to look at the opposite direction of hers. He simply buckled up and unlocked the door, silently gesturing for her to leave.

* * *

Klaus arrived home late that night- or rather, early the next morning- and since he had no course on Tuesdays, he stayed in bed until late afternoon.

In fact he was originally planning on shunning the world until dinner, but Elijah had woke him up by knocking on his door, "there is something I'll have to discuss with you, Niklaus. Now."

Klaus sank his face into the puffy pillow further, voice muffled, "ugh, I thought I told you what happened last night. Can't I just enjoy a peaceful sleep?"

"It's already 4 in the afternoon, Niklaus. You've had enough." Elijah lectured as formally as usual, "make yourself presentable and meet me at the dining room in a quarter, or even your birthday suite won't be enough to stop me from hauling you out of the sheets."

"I thought I was the lecturer in the family." Groaning, Klaus forced himself out of the bed and shuffled to the bathroom, knowing that his naked sleeping was a well-known habit among his siblings and the discussion Elijah demanded must be really important, otherwise such man of seriousness would never have threatened (himself) with this kind of risk.

15 minutes later, Klaus had made it to his usual seat at the dining table in his navy Henley and a pair of dark-washed jeans, "what's the hurry?"

Hands clasped before his nose, elbows propped against the table, Elijah stared at his brother for a while before he started talking, "you do notice that the board has been trying to overthrow the power our family wield in the university, don't you?"

"That'd be no news to me, Elijah." The younger of the brothers hummed casually, standing up to pour himself a glass of Scotch.

"If so, how come the committee hasn't received the topic of your annual research?" The elder brother turned in his chair, sight following his ever unruly sibling, "the submission deadline is only 2 months away, and still, no one's got your project subject! Do you need to be reminded, that this crucial research leads to your promotion, which happened to have everything to do with the control we have in the school? After Father retired-"

"Need not worry, Brother," he cut his brother off after taking a swig of the amber liquid, "I've got everything planned in my mind, and, just for your information, I've already finished the whole research paper a week ago."

Elijah exhaled. His brother was truly a genius when it came to Arts and Klaus' ability to finish a paper with well execution and high quality in mere weeks was of no doubt, but what was he thinking when he'd had everything done without handing in anything? Did he really have no idea what people were saying, and how the rumors were harming their status in the board?

Klaus smirked as if he could read the other Mikaelson's mind and explained, "only idiots file in the topics so early, Brother. The earlier the core of your research is exposed, the easier it is for the others to steal your idea. I have every faith in my paper of the year and it will surely gain me the position we've been waiting for. All we need now are confidentialness and confidentiality. As long as my research stays a surprise when the committee reads it, that associate professor position will be no less than a coin in my pocket, and our foothold in the uni would be as stable as ever."

"Plus, wouldn't it be entertaining to keep those mole cricket and ants wondering and guessing what our next move is blindly and anxiously, like a cat on a hot tin roof, or a headless chicken?" Klaus jeered with full self-contentment, "who do we have for the candidates again?"

"The candidates for the position of associate professor of the Art College this year are you, Marcel Gerard, Francesca Guerrera, and Sysilia Feng." Astounded by his brother's mastery in plotting and maneuvering, Elijah couldn't decide if he should feel relieved or nervous at the point, "Feng stands no chance in every respect. Guerrera could've been a threat with the influence her family holds in the board, but their recent financial breakdown made sure of their failure this year. That leaves Marcel the only opponent you'll have to worry about now. With his competence and the support he could pull from the big strings, he-"

"You must have forgotten, Elijah," Klaus's departure from the dining room interrupted Elijah's sentence. He looked back confidently before he left for Henrik's room, "I don't do worries."

* * *

**AN/**

**Here you go with another update guys, I hope you enjoyed it. I was unexpectedly busy preparing for the new semester these days. I hope the declaration up there didn't kill your interest in this story. I have 15 courses, 2 clubs, 1 part-time job and TOEFL preparation to juggle next semester (which starts next week) so updates will only be harder and I might only be updating every other week (including my other fics). So your reviews and the motivations will only become more and more important to me and I'm shamelessly bribing you to stick with me by announcing we're half way till the end and the fluff is not far. The only promise I can make is I'll try my best to update in the future. *fingers crossed***

**In last chapter we discovered that Esther couldn't stand seeing her children so often (Christmas was something inevitable, though) and that was why the siblings couldn't accompany Henrik for his stay-over. I forgot to put that one in the AN last time hehehe:-P I also made a big mistake in last chapter about Henrik's schooling. Earlier before Klaus told Care Henrik has been homeschooling but in CH8 he said Henrik goes to their mother's directly after school. That's a huge bug I'll have to apologize for. Henrik doesn't go to school. I've already corrected CH8, and we'll be reading about it next chapter…just thought you should know. I wasn't planning on having the couple fight over Klaus' confession. The original plot was a calm and sweet talk but what you read just came to me and I had to type it. It came out great in my opinion. It reminds the nature of Klaus' temper and how they used to bicker on the show. Caroline's words also unfold about Klaus' character a little. It'd be OOC if I wrote as I planned, so I guess sometimes you just gotta trust those sudden inspirations.**

**Big hugs to my dearest reviewers: ****_Angelikah, jessnicole, chillwithJyl, MJTE, AnnaTom23, iceSTEP, au courant, Hazel21, red08, Chelseab95, klaroline4everlove, goldenhummingbird, tippy093, April420, and Guests. _****Your feedbacks are the source of my inspiration, thank you so much and please keep on sharing your thoughts with me!**

**Preview: Henrik's little crush and girl's talk on the couple's 'relationship'**

**PS. Okay I was right with Caroline turning it off. But, seriously, Julie? Come on, we all know how amazing and exciting it could be if we had a TO-TVD crossover now. And I mean NOW!**


	10. Stockholm syndrome, the reviving love

****IMPORTANT-updated 4/1, 2015****

**I was facing this huge writer's block when writing this chapter thus some impulsive changes from the planned plot and some confusion were made in this chapter. And now I'm regretting and panicking like shit, I don't even know if I can eventually get this back to its original track(sigh). Anyway, what's done is done and it seems impossible for me to take this chapter back so I'll just have to need a day or two to fix this. I won't lock the chapter but please NOTICE THAT if you continue reading you might feel confused by some part of the chapter (which I'll try my best to fix) and I strongly suggest that you exit now and come read it next week. Things shall (hopefully) be alright by then.**

**God help me, I think I've lost my mojo!(Mar. 2015)**

**I read through the whole chapter again and changed some of the words and sentences, but I'm still not sure if everything seems alright to you. Tell me if not, I wish it confuses you no more!(Apr. 2015)**

* * *

As Klaus walked near his favorite baby brother's room, the conversation flowing out from it informed him that someone was there a head of him.

First was Henrik's complaint, "I just really hate Mummy when it's dark. She's even scarier at night, and I don't want to stay over… Do I still have to stay over tomorrow night?"

"No, you don't. Nik and Elijah are working on this legally since it was theoretically their fault to have lost you… which means you might never have to go to mother's anymore, Brother. But you do know that you can't always get things your way by ignoring and escaping from them, don't you?" Even as a big brother, it was still a little awkward to hear that hint of lecture in the ever mischievous Kol's voice, "you're lucky I'm only grounding you for 2 weeks, Henrik. Never ever EVER run away like that again."

There was little or even no doubt that such announcement of punishment aroused children's opposition, "but you were late again! You're the one giving me the chance to run away. I'll tell Nik about this!"

"Are you trying to threaten me?" Kol chuckled at his witty brother, "well unfortunately, I believe Nik's going to stand on my side in this. But sure you can try your luck, who knows? He might even cancel the field trip you've been long awaiting."

Then in the room came the delighting childish giggle, "no Nik won't. Because I'm inviting Caroline with us."

Having been informed of who Caroline was and having accidentally met her in person on Henrik's last wild escape, Kol was suddenly startled. Even Klaus himself was astonished. There was a pause before the discussion went on again, and Klaus almost stepped out of the shadow to check on the situation.

Good that Kol took action before Klaus did, "what do you mean by saying that, Henrik?"

"It's simple. Nik likes Caroline." If Klaus weren't too busy being shocked by his brother's keenness, he could've imagined the Caroline-ish eye roll so vividly dancing among the little boy's words. What was the saying? Oh yes, one takes on the color of one's company. Or, in this case, should we say 'birds of a feather flock together'? His student happened to be his brother's first and only friend now, after all. "And Nik is never going to turn down the chance to go on our fieldtrip with her if I invited her. So he won't cancel it."

Although Kol never dared to put his inner question about if Henrik was referring to the same kind of feeling he was by the word 'like', he still cackled as he ruffled his brother's hair, "you, evil, wicked genius! So how are you going to invite the girl when you're grounded? I heard you've got the girl's number. But you know it's quite unwise, impolite also, for a gentleman to ask a lady out on their first date by texting." Well, it depends on _whose date_ it really was if Kol was telling the truth. Oh, he'd always known something was different about this new girl in his brother's course. From day one on.

Klaus could hear the boy rummaging in the room searching for something, but he actually couldn't be bothered to care. Was he being so obvious that even a five-year-old could detect his affection? If so, could the other students see it, too? Then why hadn't _she_ noticed it? How could she still fought with him in the car like that last night if she had? _No, no, no, this is pathetic. Since when have you started caring about such trivial feelings of others so much?_ But this is Caroline! How could he not- No, Henrik must have meant the friendship he saw between them when he was talking about 'like'. He'd just proposed to the girl his brother liked- according to his own words- after all.

Klaus had to pull every strength he had to suppress that inner turmoil going on in his chaotic mind to present himself to his brothers.

"Ah, always the perfect timing, Nik. Henrik and I were just talking about asking Caroline to go on your field trip with you, you know, as a thank-you for her contribution to finding this poor little thing last night." Klaus could tell from the way the edge of Kol's lips tugged that he was aware of his very presence behind the wall all along. Klaus narrowed his eye at this realization, but Kol was never the one to be intimidated by such gesture. He simply grinned and pointed at their baby brother, who was now sitting by his desk with his crayon box open, "Henrik here is making an invitation card. Isn't that sweet of him to do? There are less and less handmade stuff with all those email and App gadgets these days, Caroline won't be able to bid a single word of rejection with that."

"May I beg your pardon, who said we're still going on that trip after all those trouble yesterday?" Klaus smirked as he played by with his brother.

It was at that instant that Henrik, who'd been –pretending to be or not- absorbed in his working on the masterpiece, shot his head up with those huge puppy eyes on his rosy face and the invitation card in hand, "please Nik, please! I never had the chance to say thank you to Caroline. And the card is half-way finished!"

What was that again? Yap, birds of a feather flock together. The mastery of manipulation was passed on by gene and shared in their veins, Klaus was sure.

* * *

"Care, you in there? Bonnie has come for you." This was the fifth time Elena'd knock on her roommate's door, and if anyone asked, she wouldn't be able to come up with exactly how much effort she'd put on accessing said girl for days. And it was Friday afternoon already. Ever since coming back on Tuesday morning, Caroline'd been taking sick leaves and had never stepped out of her room when Elena was in their dorm. "You're starting worry me you know. You left us on our girl's night Monday and you've been like this after that. Did I say anything at the bar? If it was me, I apologize but I really don't remember a thing… I was too drunk."

Then, for the first time in forever, she got a response, "no, Elena, you have nothing to do with this. It's none of your fault."

"Why are you avoiding me then?" The brunette sighed, "were you even eating these days?"

The only reply to the questions were silence at first. Later, after a series of shuffling footsteps, the door opened in front of the Elena and Bonnie's noses, emerging the wry smile worn on Caroline's pale face.

"Just to let you know, first, I'm still alive and I've been consuming whatever junk we have in our mini-fridge the past 3 days. Second, I'm actually avoiding the world instead of avoiding you, Elena. You're one of the only two- uh, three in fact- friends I got on this foreign land, so you're definitely the last person on my avoid list." Elena hadn't missed Caroline's cringe when she quietly changed the amount of friends she had in London in the conversation. "Third, now that you know point one and two, would you please do me a favor and stop knocking? I know you're worried, and I appreciate that, really. But please, just leave me alone. You've got boobs, you know. Everyone's got a few days every month when they only wanna shop, eat, watch soap operas and cry like shit, and enjoy personal time."

Bonnie frowned. Nope, this is not working. She ain't buying this _I'm on my period leave me alone_ excuse. Drastic times call for drastic measures. So she entered the room without being invited and squeezed herself in that narrow gap between her pal and the door frame, arousing a high-pitched complaint, "Bon, haven't you heard me, I need personal-"

Caroline was cut off by the hand Bonnie held out as she scanned around the room.

"Are you telling me those piles and pyramids of used tissue on your nightstand, the phone you tossed in the deplorable corner in this messy room, and that puffy eyes of yours are the results of a _bloody_ nuclear period explosion?" The girl with caramel skin arched one of her brows, waiting for her classmate's answer, explanation, or excuse.

Hearing those words, Elena rushed in the room grabbing her former roommate's arm, scolding, "Bonnie, we agreed not to be harsh!"

Yet Elena's interceding barely worked. Bonnie only crossed her arms in front of her chest and provoked, "you might not remember but I wasn't drunk like you, Elena. I recall the reason of Caroline's sudden departure from our Monday party night. And I think it's kind of pathetic for our dear Caroline to keep going on this routine whenever our art lecturer chides her. As the matter of fact, he'd been treating her better than he treats any other student, ever."

"How could you say that? You don't even know what went on!" Caroline defended, despite her shaking form and voice.

"No, we don't." Their opinions agreed for the first time since the girls made contact, "which is why you need to tell us about it. We could talk about the problem. It's not really our business, but just as you said yourself, we're your friends and we want to help. Come on, Care. You're better than this. Better than locking yourself away from the world."

There was that second, when Caroline struggled fighting for dominance against her inner self, the insecure little girl shouting to take over, keeping her from taking those helping, friendly hands. She looked down at the floor, and inhaled before giving in, "you're right, Bonnie. I do need to talk. But before we start… I think we need to give Elena some update in case she gets a heart attack."

* * *

"Care…I'm just asking, are you…having feelings for Klaus?" After filling Elena in and being filled in with Caroline's latest story about Klaus and his baby brother, Bonnie finally asked the question that'd been lumping in her throat.

"What do you mean by that? Why would I-" the blonde quickly denied out of reflex, but her friend was faster to cut her short, "no, Caroline, don't refute before you put a think in it. I've been suspecting. You always work so hard just so you could earn Klaus' acknowledgement, way harder than any art novice should. You always get so upset whenever he disapproves you… His opinion seems to mean a lot to you. By then I thought you were simply afraid of him, the tyrant. But then you told us you met him in the park and you two were texting and one call from him could pull you away from the fun we were having at the bar. That wasn't normal."

Caroline's brows furrowed like pastries, "it was an emergency, Henrik was missing. And I was just being myself when working harder than any other art novice would. Because Caroline Forbes is not just any other random girl."

Bonnie was going to continue but this time Caroline was faster, desperate to clarify, "and I was just admiring him, as a talented artist, and a good teacher. You liked him too! You were the one who praised him, like 'he's Dalí to me', and at that time I even hated him! What you're indicating is impossible."

"Caroline, you're overreacting. No need to panic, I'm not scolding. I just want to help you figure out why you always fall into this emotional fluctuation when it comes to Klaus," Bonnie held up both of her hands as if surrendering, trying to calm the blonde down.

Unfortunately, her effort was in vain. "Bonnie, you're being overly sensitive and suspicious. I'm not having a crush on our lecturer. Ask Elena!"

That was when the girls discovered Elena's unusual condition. She'd stayed silent since the topic about Klaus started. And right now, there was that strange unreadable expression on her delicate face.

"Elena?" Bonnie probed, and suddenly her former roommate snapped, "whether what Bon said is true or not, I don't think this is a good idea, having feelings for a member of the faculty."

The rest of the girls were stunned, and after a few seconds, Caroline finally opened her mouth, "what do you mean? Look, I'm not acquiescing with Bonnie's statement, but you were the one who played that text game with him, on my behalf, without permission . You were like, 'don't reply him so soon, make him suffer, make him wait,' wasn't that… I don't know, kinda encouragement?"

"I was drunk," Elena claimed, "I wasn't myself, okay? And I don't remember a thing I did. If I'd been conscious, I'd never encourage that."

"Elena!" "How could you say that?" Bonnie and Caroline screamed simultaneously in disbelieve, the latter girl storming across the living room, reaching for the phone inside her partition.

"I don't care if you were conscious or not, Elena. It's really, really irresponsible of you to say one thing then and another now." Caroline turned on the gadget- she'd turned it off since Klaus started calling her nonstop the day after their quarrel- as she propelled herself out of her room, intending to show the Gilbert girl her _masterpiece_. But once the phone was completely on and started receiving digital signal, her phone went beeping without pause with texts flooding in.

"What's wrong with that?" Bonnie inquired at the strange beeps.

Caroline opened her mouth, ready to shoot back an 'I don't know', but was enlightened by the first message she opened.

_Are you alright? Please at least reply a text. -Klaus_

Looking at the words he'd typed brought back the perplexities and emotions that had been tormenting her for days. Yes, she was Caroline Forbes, the girl who not only won the throne of Miss Mystics but also mastered the art of juggling multi tasks- like planning prom, parties and attending cheer leading trainings- at the same time, but this was when even she, the never say never, headstrong girl, would agree to take challenges one by one. She'd been crying for that man- both for the family tragedy he'd told her and the way he'd silently shut her out and asked for her to leave- and she wasn't even sure she could stifle the sadness in front of the girls if she began reading the numerous texts Klaus had sent over these days. One thing that she still knew was that she wasn't planning on crying in Elena's presence. She was her friend, but she somehow just pissed Caroline off today.

So she swallowed whatever emotion she had in her throat and gave Bonnie a reassuring smile, "nothing."

"Okay, back to what we were saying," Caroline showed Elena the text Bonnie and she sent at the bar, "you prefer _XXOO_, remember?"

Elena accepted the phone and took a close look at the text, frowning as if she could recall nothing, which was probably the truth. It seemed she had finally given up recollecting seconds later, as she handed the phone back to its owner. Yet the knot between her brows never untied.

"Anyway, flirting a teacher doesn't equal having feelings with one. " She commented.

"Seriously?" Eyes widened, Caroline covered her forehead with both her palms, unknown anger suddenly raging beneath her skin, "are you saying it's okay to flirt with a teacher but it isn't to like, like him? Listen to yourself, Elena! This is nonsense! Totally illogical! What's wrong with you?"

Rising from her seat, Elena stood close to her roommate to argue, "no, what's wrong with you, Caro-"

"Don't try to lecture me, Elena!" Caroline cut her off ferociously, "you can't use liquor as an excuse for your inconsistent behavior! You can't first prank when I refused to flirt- according to your own words- with Klaus then judge me when you're finally back to Earth! Just to make things clear, I'm not agreeing that I'm having feelings for him now, okay? It's just... This is unfair! Besides, how come you oppose this so much and get so agitated? I thought Bonnie was the judgemental one!"

"Ouch, Caroline!" Bonnie complained.

No one bothered poor Bonnie's call at that tense moment, truth be told. Elena and Caroline remained in their close standing posture, glaring at each other like two wild oxen would when horn wrestling.

"I'm not judging. I'm just telling the truth." Elena was the first one to break their silent stare, "I'm looking out for you, Care. Whether you have a thing for Klaus or not, it's not so good if both Bonnie and I am feeling that way. What would others say? What would your classmates think? He's not just any teacher in the uni. He's your lecturer. And we're exchange students, gosh Caroline that makes it even worse! You know what our schools would do if exchange students do harm to the school's reputation when we're abroad. If your school hears a word about this, they're gonna summon you back to the States. And you're going to get kicked out of this country we're standing on!"

Feeling ridiculous, Caroline shook her head as she bit out, "like I said, you're all overreacting. They're not gonna drag me all the way back to the other side of the Atlantic just because they hear some stupid false rumor."

Elena made no further response at her words except for leaning on to the armrest of the sofa, raising one brow as if not believing.

"What?" Caroline queried, ignoring the anger-fueled, turning little wheels in the back of her mind like if she pay a single ounce of attention on it, the wall she'd carefully built to prevent her dam of emotions from bursting would collapse.

Hips still braced against the couch, Elena exhaled deeply before talking, "Care, remember how you used to hate, or rather, fear Klaus when the semester just started? I have no idea how you two bonded, or how you've come this far to like him this much, but the you 2 months earlier would never imagine herself defending her friendship with the tyrant of art. Is this some kind of Stockholm syndrome? You developing positive feelings toward the most notorious man in our university?"

And that was the last straw for Caroline.

The more she ran herself through Elena's words, the truer she found they were.

Yes, she could've never imagined herself defending the purity of her friendly relationship with Klaus- not that she could've imagined being suspected sharing a romantic one with him- but that was before she knew who he really was! Before she knew his laughs and sorrows, his talent and loss, his loves and hates, the help he was trying to smuggle under his hostility towards her—that was before she got to know his true self.

How could Elena judge her like that when she knew nothing about this, nothing about him?

Yes, Elena knew nothing about their encounter at the park, when he was a totally different person in his favorite brother's presence; Elena knew nothing about the little talks he'd shared with her, and how his lips would curl into that elegant, indescribable arch when a genuine smile took over where he usually wore that trademark smug smirk; Elena knew nothing about the rough times he'd been through, and the fact that he stood up even stronger and more glorious and graceful than ever after stumbling only made him shone brighter, made him more attractive.

_Wait, did I just thought about attractive?_

Many years later, when Caroline recalled this moment, she would say that was one of the most critical turning points of her relationship with Klaus, although she had no idea what was happening by then. People were always ignorant of their attendance in great historical events, after all.

"You know what, Elena," Caroline's attitude softened abruptly as something important just dawned on her, "wouldn't it be ironic, if all this argue we've been having here was about how bad it would be for me to feel for someone I shouldn't, but it was actually the words you said trying to prevent a possibility that throughout the fight I genuinely thought was impossible from coming true, that actually did the opposite?"

The rest of the girls' eyes were fogged with confusion, "speak English, Caroline. That sentence you just said was too long even for a native English speaker."

Triumphant smile gracing her face, Caroline simply illuminate them as she waltzed back to her room, tired of the discussion, "I mean, you just contributed to my realization on the fact that I do have a thing for Klaus by provoking me, despite the denial I sincerely thought was true, Elena."

* * *

She inhaled deeply, preparing herself for the texts she was going to read. She'd finally discovered her true feeling for the consigner after all.

_Oh my god, I like Klaus. In a romantic way. _Caroline thought to herself as her finger pressed on the first message she'd missed, shaking.

_I realized we hadn't ended the night in a pleasant way early this morning and I was to blame. I'd really like to explain myself but you haven't pick up any of my calls. Considering when I last asked for an opportunity to do the same thing we ended up arguing last night, it's understandable for you to avoid the calls I've made, and to not grant me that chance. Just in case you're avoiding my calls because you couldn't recognize my number from last night- which is quite impossible I know, but please just give me an excuse for self-consolation- this is my own number. I'll be contacting you with it since my occupation of Henrik's phone was one of the main reason why we failed to reach him right away yesterday, and I've returned it back to its rightful owner._

_Again, please give me the chance to explain myself._

_-Klaus (Tuesday 20:30)_

She smiled at the humor he was trying to play up through the lines as she could almost see the furrows between those brows when he swallowed his pride and racked his brain for hours to come up with this version of a seemingly light half-apology text.

Drawing her fingertips between her tugged lips, she continued reading the next message.

_Still refusing to answer my calls, sweetheart? (Wednesday 13:25)_

And the next.

_Come on Caroline, pick up. You're not angry, are you? Well, not that angry, are you? (Wednesday 16:57)_

_Well, in fact I am, _she hissed before opening the next.

_So I guess you really are angry? Don't be, love. Where's that girl who sent me an XXOO at the end of her text? We had a little spat. I'm over it already. Let me talk you out of it. (Thursday 8:23)_

That arrogant jerk. Caroline found herself laughing at the thought of it, her mocking him mentally. Oh she really was acting abnormally. She first cried for days then argued with her roommate, and now she was laughing at a glowing screen like an idiot, alone in her room. Moody. All because of one man. Great.

_Caroline, you're starting to make me worry, again. Come on, this text conversation is going on a routine pattern. Last time I asked you to at least give me a word to let me know you're safe, Henrik gone missing. Pick up, please. (Thursday 17:48)_

Now that Caroline had found out her feelings for Klaus, she contemplated replying this text at once to assure him. Not that she'd mollified, it was the sincere worry between those words and the gentle image conveyed through them made her heart melt like…

Yet she eventually decided maybe finishing all of the texts before replying would be wisest.

_You're freaking me out, Caroline. PICK UP. (Friday 12:16)_

And that was the last message.

Caroline checked the date. It was sent this noon. She'd turned on her phone around 3p.m. when arguing with Elena. It was almost 6 now, and all these hours he hadn't called.

What if he thought she was pushing him away? What if the alpha male in him was tired of soft-speaking and submission and had finally decided to quit the trouble? What if he couldn't be bothered to worry about her safety anymore?

But she had just found out! She had just realized her affections for him! She might not know if it was love yet, but she definitely liked him, and longed for him.

Out of desperation, Caroline quickly pressed call.

To her astonishment, the other side of the line picked up immediately, "Hello?"

* * *

**Yes! We've finally made it to this stage, where both of the couple know how they feel for each other. Whoa! Phew!**

**Sorry I didn't mean to make you wait so long for this update. It's just that my new job this semester is my professor's research assistant and it requires lots of background knowledge, which is why I've been extremely busy reading references and papers recently. I have a feeling I'm not gonna like this job too much but I need this experience on my list to squeeze myself into that narrow international exchange door in my uni. So yes, you might find some resemblance between Caroline and the girl typing these words now.**

**Another reason for the long wait was that I wanted to finish the two-parter I posted around a month ago. Although I've sent my gratitude by PM already but I'd really like to thank dearest KlaroFeels for her kind review in ****_The Ebb and Flow_****. I was quite satisfied with the ending I wrote for the story myself, and I've even plotted an even better one for ****_Beauty_****. I was crying when I finished The Ebb and knowing someone was touched by the work I'd done just turned the tears on again. That story was a wrap up of my perspective on love. This motivation she gave me by reviewing just made me wanna push myself a little closer to sharing the end of this fic to all of you. So, here you go with this latest chapter, which was finished in 3 late nights, also the longest chapter of Beauty so far.**

**You might find Elena a bit strange in this chapter, but she's really just looking out for her friend. Caroline's acting unusual, just as Bonnie says, after all. I understand it might be a little OOC for Caroline, such a strong girl to cry and shut herself in her room for days just because of the spat she had with Klaus. But remember guys, this is still the human, insecure Caroline without vampirism, and she is also confused and perplexed by her own feelings. She still isn't that extraordinary girl we're familiar with, not yet- that's Klaus construction to complete in future chapters, like I said, I always enjoy reading about how couples grow together. As for Elena and her judgemental mind? will it prevent the couple from being together? Or will it eventually tear them apart after they get together? Well, what's the fun if I spoil the story by telling you now? Hehehe****J**

**Thanks to dearest Beauty reviewers: ****_Angelikah, Mystery Girl3, goldenhummingbird, red08, jessnicole, MJTE, AnnaTom23, Chelseab95, chillwithJyl, Ashley, tippy093, talv1914, klaroline4everlove and Guests_****. Your feedbacks are the fuel for my inspiration! Those who review for Beauty are all beauties! And in case you want to know… some of you have been guessing about things, and although no one has got the bull's eye, some of you are in the right direction… Yap, I'm the evil author who refuse to give any further clue, sue me!**

**Preview: Klaus (finally) asks Caroline out! (Yay!)**

**PS. Anyone watched this week's TO? Did they just put some random fanfic on the show? Cuz the canon this week looked nothing like a reasonable show. I mean, seriously, Hayley? Elijah? Come on, I thought I just gave you two a whistle before Christmas! Oh, and I love the wild version of Caroline!**


	11. Important Announcement

Dear all,

I know it's been a while since I last updated but here's something serious I'll have to tell you.

Last 4 months have been an amazing time in my journey of writing. You're the best readers I could ever ask for. As you might have noticed I'm having a little trouble with _Beauty_ now. Unfortunately I'm only getting busier and busier these days so after correcting last chapter I finally decided that maybe it'll be best for me to stop writing this story before ruining it.

Maybe I'll gain enough confidence to start writing again and finish the stories and maybe not. It just depends.

It's really a sad thing to tell and I'm never good at saying goodbyes. But I believe being such supportive readers you deserve to be noticed of the up-coming incompleteness since I know how it feels to keep on the seemingly endless wait for stories from disappeared authors. (And as the canon gets wilder and wilder nowadays, things like that only happen more often.)

So yeah I hope I didn't disappoint you so much that you rushed to exit this page because all of above is just a joke for April Fools' Day! They are not real.

Nope, abandoning any of my fics is not in my schedule in near future and if I really do someday, I'd at least give you a brief 300 words plot story to let you know what the rest of the stories are supposed to be like. Leaving readers with suspensions is not so responsible after all.

But I was telling the truth about being busy. And I kinda needed time to calm down and think about the next steps in my stories too. Fortunately, spring break is coming so I might be able to come up with something new around the end of the week. So please just be patient with me and please please review! They motivate me to start typing next chapters sooner, they really do! Reviews decreased a lot last chapter and I know I can blame no one but myself. I guess it was really boring. Though frankly speaking, even after running through last chapter again this morning I still don't get what was wrong with it but I've tried my best to fix it. Anyways, feel free to tell me about how you feel about my works. Constructive suggestions are always welcomed.

Again, happy April Fools' Day and I hope you're not too mad at me for the prank I just played. I'll see you soon then!

-A


	12. Vincent van Goh, souls on fire

_"__I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. And you were there."_

-An Affair to Remember, movie 1957

* * *

So there was this awkward pause flowing between both sides of the line, the only sound they could here was the random hum and buzz of the communication system in the background.

"Thi-This is Caroline." She mumbled out as if suddenly stricken, and was immediately regretting for acting so clumsy, which she had apparently no control over whenever it had something to do with a particular guy these days, after hearing that trademark chuckle. Oh she could even imagine that smug smirk of his, how she wanted to smack that look of his handsome face in that instant!

"That I am well aware of. Considering all those phone call I've made this week, I wouldn't want to dial the same number over and over would I? Even if you weren't in my phone list I would've tell your number by heart, love." He joked, half matter-of-factly, half sarcastically. "So what brings you to call me on your own will?"

She could feel her heart shouting to race out of her rib cage, and needed no mirror to tell how red and heated her cheeks must look like. "Well, I was having a bit trouble these days so I simply shut the phone off and when I turned it back on today it just poof! All those texts you sent flooded in. Since I was one of the participants, as always, in our latest fight and it's not very polite to miss so many calls and texts for days and you seemed particularly worried about my safety in your latest message, I think it would be most polite for me to return the call, voluntarily."

Then she thought he was going to pick out some tiny, trifle point in her rambling to joke about or make fun of, like he usually did when bickering, but both interesting and unfortunate enough, she found the orbiting world becoming more and more beyond her expectations these days.

"What trouble?" He asked in that unfamiliar worried tone.

Caroline almost slapped herself for bringing that part of the story up for she had no preparation and intention to spill the beans of her affections for now, not yet. She'd been the insecure wannabe who was all too eager to throw herself at anyone who would grant her the slightest attention just to make her existence a little more solid back in Mystic Falls, and it often took Stefan ages of convince and reasoning-or even a dog leash- to prevent her from giving herself to some dick who obviously didn't deserve a brained beauty contest champion.

"You're better than you think you are," Stefan had always said so.

Recalling her best friend's words, it suddenly occurred to her how the bitch named busy life had driven them apart. She'd only been exchanging a few random emails with him the past month and their last skype was actually the only since she'd stepped on the other side of Atlantic. Taking a mental note to give him an update face to face, or rather screen to screen, Caroline was only starting to feel the weight of her dear friend's sincere counsel.

Somewhere during her pursuit of Klaus' acknowledgement, she'd proved to herself that she could actually harness difficult, new things well on her own if she worked hard enough. Well she would be lying if she said she'd already mastered art or that she hadn't accomplished hard tasks before. She'd performed remarkably well in all her life, facing new challenges or not, especially when people said she won't be able to. And she might just be picking up the most basic steps in the field of art, but hey, Klaus' acknowledgement meant something, didn't it? And this was something different, something new. After years yearning for others to see her among the little crowd in her small town, this was the first time when she wanted someone else to see her just so she could see _herself_. It had been for herself, not just anyone else. And she did. For the first time in her 20-something lifetime, she gave into-maybe just a little- Stefan's comment and believed that she was actually SOMEONE. And she wanted more. She wanted to be better, and better, and better.

This opportunity of realization was the grandest gift anyone could ever present her. Klaus gave it to her without even noticing it himself, by keep pushing-scolding, if she was telling the truth- her to achieve higher goals she never had believed she could.

There might be numerous things that drew Caroline to Klaus, but this simple point, the fact that he'd made her a better person, made her want to slow down.

She would no longer throw herself at some guy so eagerly and make herself a sport anymore. If she liked someone, she was gonna take it slow and never haste before a real relationship that any decent girl deserved blossomed.

Yes, a real relationship.

Which was why she was not going to make the tiniest move before she was sure there was mutual affection between them, "no, no. there's no big deal. Everything's fixed now."

"You sure? You know I'd always be willing to help, all you have to do is ask-" Klaus kept on the query like an anxious mother chicken but was soon assured by Caroline, who wondered if anyone else outside his family had ever seen this part of his.

He sighed in relief, another thing popping up in his head to badger again, "and how's your wrist? I recall asking you not to draw for a week before last week's session, and since our next class is approaching, I think it would be best if you unbandage yourself and start stretching a bit, in case it gets too stiff to perform any art activity next week."

She paused for a while, taking a quick look at her wrist, "wow, I hardly remember having a injured wrist before you mentioned. Must have been recovering well."

It was indeed surprising for her that how little attention she'd paid to her hand since drawing had been almost the sole focus she'd had ever since taking Klaus' course. Guess all those wild reality just took up all her mind these days.

"So… now that you know both me and my wrist are okay…" Caroline asked carefully, secretly hoping him to deny what she was going to say, "I guess this is it for today and I'll see you Monday?"

"Yes, see you on Monday." To her disappointment, his voice at that moment was the absolute contrast to hers, calm and…casual.

_Am I the only one longing to keep this conversation going?_ Caroline huffed silently, ready to press the red phone icon on the screen of her phone before an unexpected call came out from the receiver.

She quickly press her ear back to the gadget, "yes?"

"I forgot to tell you… well, ask you actually." It was a little ludicrous she must admit, that the tyrant of art could remain so calm and emotionless one second and turned out to be careful as a little boy asking for Mommy's permission next instant, "could you come to my office, uh-hum, alone after class Monday?"

Caught off guard by the quest, Caroline took a moment or two to respond, "oh. No problem. But what for?"

"I have something, Henrik has something in fact, for you." He murmured.

Scolding herself for feeling a little let down that the stuff she was going to receive was actually from the lovely little boy _(Come on, anyone who gets a gift or whatever from the adorable five-year-old should praise the grace of God himself, okay?)_ instead of the man whom she was talking to right now, Caroline sighed under her breath and decided to end this phone call as soon as possible so she could go on her self-blaming spree, "So I'll see you on Monday in and after class then?"

"Caroline?" His voice pulled her back to her phone once again.

"Anything else?"

"Good evening and good night, sweetheart."

* * *

After praying for Dear Lord's forgiveness, Caroline shoved her thoughts about the Mikaelson brothers aside in her mind, and stared down at her enveloped wrist.

She'd been coexisting with this white lump for almost 2 weeks now, and she really couldn't wait to get rid of it. Unwrapping herself circle by circle, she could feel the pressure and weight on her right hand lessening, the urge to draw growing at the same time. She'd never thought she'd come to love art wholeheartedly and one day willing to paint a non-assignment on her free-will before this, yet she just did. She had fell for both drawing, and the man who had inspired her to.

She clenched and turned and twisted for a few times, making sure nothing was wrong with the long unused joint.

Once she was sure everything was fine, she waltzed out of her room to the living room and sat herself before the easel. She felt a little out of practice looking for inspiration and theme of her come-back piece with her color palette in hand after all these days of idling.

So she drew the first and only thing that filled her mind.

* * *

"As a major Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh's work had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. Including portraits, landscapes, and most renown of all, still lifes of cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers, his output was known for its vivid coloration and those wild and heavy strokes…"

There were times when time flies as there were times when the clock ticks as slow and unbearable as a snail. Unfortunately, to Caroline, it felt like the latter at this moment in the art studio.

Caroline had tried her best to focus on her classmate's midterm presentation, knowing that one day–Klaus had privately promised her it would be around the end of the semester since there were above ten students thus over ten presentations to be done and it wouldn't be too obvious if he scheduled the only art novice in the class as the last presenter, buying her more time to prepare-she will be giving something way more tedious, but she was simply filming _Mission Impossible 5_ (or was it 4? Or 6? Who the hell remembers?) trying to pay attention.

Nope, it was impossible for her mind to stick on anything other than her…appointment after class.

Now sitting at the edge of the studio with Bonnie beside her, Caroline was staring straight at her lecturer's back, and if sights could burn Klaus would already be half naked with all the holes on his grey Henley now.

As the blonde contemplated on what it would be like and what he was going to give her at their first private meet after their last quarrel, the boy on stage kept on rambling as he clicked to switch to a slide full of van Goh's masterpieces, "my personal favorite, unlike most people, are the landscapes with cypresses. You can see from these pictures I show on the screen, the trees of Vincent's creation are swirling upwards like burning flames stretching up to reach the sky. To me they somehow resemble the artist's struggle for the peace, concision and grace he had long longed for after years of anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness. In other words, uh, in my own words in fact, these elongating plants might have been the closest thing to heaven in Vincent's eyes."

Caroline was fidgeting in her seat, deep in her own thought when Bonnie nudged her, "psssst!"

Unwilling to disturb the whole presentation, Caroline took a slight peek at the Asian boy at the podium and turned to face her friend, "what?"

"You alright?" Bonnie whispered. She needn't elaborate for the blonde to understand what she meant.

Caroline simply shrugged. She was exchanging random texts with Klaus in the past two days and she was seeing him after class so she assumed her love life was going on okay at this stage. As for friendship… "I hardly see Elena during the weekend. She's always been busy practicing with her dance club these days, you know that, they're having a Christmas debut and if November's around the corner, December isn't far…so I guess her rushing in her room or out of our dorm whenever I was present in the living room has reasons other than avoiding her roommate."

"Ugh, you two need to stop this. Elena's clearly burying her head in the dance stuff so she doesn't have to cope with you and your…um, affair," Bonnie reflected a while before lipping out the last word, "but avoiding solves nothing. You guys seriously have to communicate."

Caroline had to pull all her will and strength to stop her eyes from rolling, "communicate what, Bonnie? I have feelings for… you know who and she's against it, it's just like that- we don't agree on this topic, end of story. Relationships related to this kind of complexity can't be solved by communication, and there's no need nor space for it. Wait, are you taking _her side_ in this?"

It was Bonnie who eventually couldn't help but rolled her eyes, "come on Care, how old are you? Like, three? Girls at our age don't take sides when their shared friends are having a fight. They talk them out. I'm just trying to help-"

A red-headed girl turned and shushed them before Bonnie could finish her sentence, so the brunette settled to just whisper an "I've got something I have to tell you after class. Too many ears here. Referring _him_ as _you know who_ sounds like we're filming Harry Potter."

Caroline wanted to protest, but Klaus's request of meeting him alone was suddenly called to mind and she decided that it might be better to stay silent and keep Klaus waiting in his office for a minute or two than to inform a third party of their arrangement.

* * *

"So… what did you want to tell me back in the studio?" The question rushed out of Caroline's mouth once the girls got into the deserted path behind the studio building after class, her feet shuffling and switching weight, her heart already reaching to Klaus' office.

"Don't tell Elena, but I actually support you in this, Care." Bonnie finally spit out after a few seconds of hesitation.

"Wow." Astonished, that was the only word Caroline could came up with before her brain started functioning again, "well I guess if I recall hard enough it wasn't difficult to see that Elena was the only opponent in our Friday fight. But you still surprise me. I thought people would…rather not comment on these kind of stuff or frown upon it. I never imagined someone would support me."

"Well, call me progressive then." A sheepish and awkward smile graced the caramel face of the brunette beauty, and somehow Caroline detected some unreadable emotion in those dark eyes of Bonnie's but failed to address it.

The blonde frowned and tilted her head, "Bon, is there something you want or should tell me?"

"Nope. Why?" The grin on the other girl's face seemed to freeze for a while, and Caroline could tell that her roommate's former roommate wasn't telling the truth. But she decided to just swallow her curiosity for she was keeping her next activity a secret to her as well. And who doesn't hold an untold mystery or two nowadays? It wasn't like Bonnie would be keeping evil skeletons in her closet anyway, things can't be that serious or she would've spill the beans, right?

"You sure?" Caroline still couldn't help but confirm once more.

Bonnie exhaled heavily and placed both her palms on Caroline's shoulders as a comforting response, "sure as gravity, Care. Just remember you have me on your side in this okay? Talk to Elena, reason with her. Tell her that just after this semester you and him won't be teacher and student anymore, and it sound both legal and blessing-worthy doesn't it? You're simply advancing in the whole process. That way it'd sound more acceptable. Love is not about what the person is or does, it's about who the person is after all."

Now that Bonnie was facing Caroline's back since she had already rotated the blonde to face the studio, the blonde had to turn to protest, "it isn't love, Bonnie! I'm just having feelings for him, it isn't love! Not yet!"

"Aye, aye captain, it isn't _yet_." Caroline swore she could hear the sound of Bonnie's eyes rolling as she was given a push on her back. "Now, off you go, I've got a date waiting ahead!"

"Bonnie that wasn't nice! And when are you showing us this secret boyfriend of yours?" Caroline couldn't help but giggle as she stumble a few step forward with the force of the other girl's push, "and you note that: it is not love! I'm not admitting it until it comes true, or he does!"

_Well, it seemed that it was just a matter of time. Sooner, or later._

* * *

When Caroline arrived at Klaus' office, the door was wide open and the owner of the room was sitting in front of his computer, which was located in the corner, all too absorbed in whatever he was doing to notice Caroline's fifth knock on the door.

Somehow Caroline found this intriguing, him being so focused on his work that he heeded nothing, not her quiet approach from his back. People always talk about how "hard-working women make the most gorgeous women" and it seemed at that moment for Caroline the saying suited men as well.

Well, besides that people also say how curiosity killed cats, and Caroline was well aware of that but since her curiosity, which was aroused by Bonnie apparently, wasn't satisfied just a few minutes ago, she wouldn't bother to suppress it. Instead, she grew more silent every step she took and ended up mere inches away from Klaus' ear when she eventually halted to lean down beside him. And even so Klaus hadn't detected a thing.

She just needed to know what had caught his attention so thoroughly. Caroline held her breath, afraid of being caught as she turned a little to admire his figure from near behind.

His brows were furrowed together as usual, and she found it a little flattering to believe that she might be on the short list of those who'd seen them loose when he was genuinely care-free. His blue eyes were fluctuating every now and then between the screen and the paper he had on the table, the wheels in his head clearly turning to execute something only ones as talented and genius as he was could understand. The tip of his left index and middle finger were brought between those perfectly pursed lips, rising and falling every time the lump on his throat would when he swallowed. Oh how she wished those fingers were hers, so she could actually draw tiny circles on him to-

_Stop that! Your thoughts are heading to wrong directions, Caroline!_

"What's so fascinating?" She couldn't resist but asked.

It was for sure that her words had caught him off guard and frightened him, for his brows shot up to the sky as his head jolted ferociously towards her.

The timing and luck must be blamed, that she stunned him and his reaction stunned her back and when both parties moved their faces in opposite directions at the same instant, their lips managed to crash.

It was just a moment, a chaste slight lip brush, if someone with a timer was right beside them to record and count. But somehow Caroline found all those love-at-first-sight slow motion movie scenes no longer appeared ridiculous to her. Or it must be her racing heart, for according to Einstein's theory of relativity, the faster things moved, the slower time flies.

Because during the brief period when their lips attached, time seemed to freeze and it felt like a century and her heart was pounding like-like-like-, oh, she wasn't even capable of any description then.

Caroline didn't know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that a string of footsteps rang through the hallway and they suddenly remembered that the door was far from closed and they bounced back from where they were simultaneously.

She was steps away from Klaus' desk and the man who was trying hard to calm his breath like she was, tugging her own strand of hair behind her ear when Marcel sauntered in Klaus' office.

"What brought you here, mate?" Klaus stood to greet him after a few muffled coughs.

The dark man didn't speak until he tore his long gaze from the clearly uncomfortable, out of place girl, "isn't this one of the students from your class? I recall seeing her last time I went to the studio…"

"Ca- Miss Forbes is simply here because she needed help with her midterm project." Klaus caught the chance and cut his former apprentice short before said bloke could come up with any bombshell. None of them could guarantee which was faster, Marcel entering the room or them splitting apart, or if the witty guy had caught any sign of what business they were just…attending before he stepped in the way- not that any of them were doing this purposely.

Okay, so maybe he had been secretly hoping for a dose of that subconsciously since who knew how long ago.

An I'm-not-buying-that grin cracked on Marcel's face, showing off a mouth of white as he teased, "as far as I recollect, you're most definitely not the kind of teacher who gives students advice on their assigned works. Not to mention you should be the last person any sane student would want to counsel with."

"Well _as far as I recollect_, you were also a candidate for the open position in the Art College this year aren't you, Marcellus?" Klaus folded his arms in front of his chest defensively, "you can't be this good-for-nothing to loaf and wander to this part of the campus only to comment on me, and this poor art novice desperately in need of assistance. Am I wrong or not?"

"Woah woah, easy. I'm just trying to ease the air! Every time I came to you for help when I was still under your command, the situation became so tensed so I was simply trying to make the girl feel a bit relieved, nothing more." Marcel's hands shot up in the air for surrender as he turned to shoot Caroline a smirk along with a wink, "you can always come to me for art advice if you're fed up with the tyrant's temper, you know."

Klaus exhaled as Caroline pasted a smile at the other man, "so what is it that you want, Marcel?"

"I was just wondering, well, I came to apologize actually. The books you lent me… I asked Diego to send them back to you once I was finished days ago, but he only came to tell me he'd lost them this morning. So I hope those books aren't important for anything urgent because it can be ages before Amazon deliver those rare editions." He turned back to face his former master, expression serious.

Klaus only shrugged and waved his hand lazily as he turned back at his desktop computer, "there's no need to rush, I'm done with the reference part in my annual research alread- what the bloody hell?"

"What?" Marcel quickly strode towards Klaus, eyes fixed on the now darkened screen, "what happened?"

Klaus clicked and tapped a few times before he answered, "no idea. Must be a crash down. Ugh, perfect timing. I was just uploading my annual-"

"It doesn't seem like the whole computer died to me," Caroline diagnosed as she came near and took over the mouse, "you see, most functions are running normally. The screen only blacked out when the window is on, so it must be the-"

"The university cloud system." Klaus finished the sentence for her, head shaking in frustration, "always unstable."

Marcel was quick to take out his smart phone to check, "but they've just fixed the system yesterday… let me check… well mine's fine."

"That's weird. If mine is dead, yours should be as well." Klaus frowned, but the scent Caroline was radiating from mere inches away soon reminded him of the situation they were in, which was _dispatch Marcel as fast as he could_, _"_Lucky that I have another save in my laptop. I'll just have to wait until I get home tonight to submit the paper though. So if nothing else, don't worry about the books. I in fact have another personal copy at home so there's no need for compensation either."

"If that's what you say." Marching out of the room, Marcel clicked his tongue delightfully after bidding his apology once again, "you'd be taking a load off Diego's mind, he was worrying if the headline is going to have something to with a 'beheaded university TA' tomorrow."

They both mustered a few laugh before they were sure the intruder was well gone, then the awkwardness that had been making them trouble quite a lot the past week claimed attention to its return again.

"Uh… you were going to give me something? From Henrik?" It took Caroline a while to pluck up the courage to be the one who broke silence.

"Ah, yes I was." Klaus rose from the computer seat and walked across the room to his coat. When he presented himself to her again, a folded drawing paper was perching on his open palm, "Henrik is, we are inviting you to join our field trip this weekend."

"Field trip?" Her eyes lit up as she opened the paper, or rather a self-made invitation card and read through the wiggling drawings and childish handwriting, "where are we going?"

Klaus' face was graced with a boyish smile once he heard what she said, "I take it as yes then?"

She nodded and shot him that inquiring look again.

"You'll know when you get there." Klaus chuckled as he walked back to shut the computer down, refusing to give a straight answer, "just remember to meet us at Paddington station. 8 o' clock, Saturday morning. We're taking the train."

Taking in Klaus' movement, Caroline assumed he was leaving for home and tugged the card into her bag, ready to wave him goodbye, "I'll be there. Thanks for having me."

Just as she was about to make her exit, he called her name, coat and beg in hand, "will you go out with me?"

"I thought I just agreed to?" Caroline's head whipped back and tilted in confusion.

He switched weight to another foot and licked his lower lip before holding up his head to look right into her eyes, "I meant now. Would you like to… hang out a little?"

* * *

**AN/**

**And here comes a long chapter full of information! I wanted to make up for the long wait with the length, and I wasn't lying when I said fluff was slowly taking place. Hope you enjoyed it like you enjoyed my April Fools' joke hahaha. Okay I'm evil.**

**I wasn't going to write their phone call and was planning on skipping right to the class part. But I got a request last time and I was like, yeah why not? It'd be fun to write about this awkward phone conversation. I'm not sure if the outcome is awkward enough to satisfy you though. The van Goh part was my personal interpretation after visiting Tuscany. I know the artist was actually drawing in southern France and Tuscany is in Italy but those trees just struck on me and I thought the combination of that realization and the quote at the very beginning of the chapter would be nice. What do you say? And how did you feel about that kiss? Share with me in the review please!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed CH10: ****_Mystery Girl3, goldenhummingbird, chillwithJyl, MJTE, klaroline4everlove, Angelikah, tippy093, Chelseab95 and Guest._**

**And the lovelies who reviewed the prank: ****_chillwithJyl, au courant, sortakindamaybeperhaps, SasuSakuLover203, worldwarIII, Ashilz, Mystery Girl3, red08, klaroline4everlove, goldenhummingbird, 3 and Guests._**

**Some of you have been sharing your personal life with me and I think that's lovely. I've always been into cultural differences and your lives in your countries are mostly different from mine, so please continue if you'd like to!**

**Preview on their semi-date: it'll be dark, there will be moonlight and music and most important of all, there'll be boooooze!**

**As always, please review to get me type faster! That way you'll see the update sooner!**


	13. Join the writing of their first date!

Hey guys! Sorry for the false alert, this isn't an update but it's not another prank either, I just needed your help!

Last night when I was slowly falling asleep the thought of having Klaroline play 20 questions (well, 10 actually) in next chapter just hit me and I think it would be fun if some of those questions come from you!

What do you think? Would you like to participate in the writing of their first date?

For those who want a play, post the question you want Klaus to ask Caroline or she him in that little review box below! I'll pick some of them to write about:)

Sorry again for the false alert, this will be the last time though. If I have any questions for you guys I'll post on my Tumblr: ((roamtenthousandmiles)). (or you can visit my profile page to copy and paste the website add)

Follow me if you want, I promise future chapter teasers and future drabbles there! (already one there now haha)

Can't wait to see your questions!


	14. Mistakes, the road not taken

**Sorry for the delay!**

**Time for some Klaus' POV!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Caroline seemed to be taken aback by Klaus' invitation, her eyes blinking dramatically- which Klaus secretly thought was extremely adorable, not that he would admit it out loud- as she stayed speechless before finally asking for confirmation, "hang out? Wi-with you?"

"Of course, who else do you expect?" Klaus plastered on his trademark smirk to hide his nervousness, concerned of being rejected, "well I thought after all the city touring you've done, you might want to visit some spots in London that no usual tourists know. And since you've helped find Henrik, I'd feel honored if I get the chance to pay you back by showing you those places-"

Klaus never got the chance to finish his sentence. His words were cut off by the blonde's beaming smile, "sure! I mean, if that's not too inconvenient for you."

He smiled back at her affectionately, reaching out for the switch to turn off the lights and feeling relieved at her willingness all the same time, "it's no more than a piece of cake. I've been living in this city since I was born."

He tried to not over-analyze the way her cherry lips tug even wider than it already had- how was that even possible when just a few seconds ago he thought the smile on her face was the biggest, brightest one in the world and now she was making it even more appealing?- as a _positive reaction_ to his offer and was quite astonished when she told him she'd only had city tours once or twice by then, "what? But you've been in this city for over 2 months now. All you've been to was Hyde Park and Apollo Theatre? That's pathetic!"

"Ha ha ha. You can keep gloating on my misfortune, Mr. Mikaelson." Caroline rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her lecturer's mock, "Believe it or not, the fault is yours."

One side of his lips rose as he steered her towards the door with a hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the room as their eyes struggled to adjust the darkness after the lights were off. "How is that my fault? Please don't tell me you're blaming my perfect appearance for your lack of adventure."

"Ugh, please. I hardly had time for fun because I was too busy preparing for the tyrant of art's weekly course," her reply had stunned Klaus a little but he figured he should have foreseen that for her hard word and skyrocket progress in class. He managed to not let his delight of that knowledge get to his head, and went on with her, "wow, sounds like a very demanding teacher. Only gives me more reason to take you out for a loose night though."

"Are you sure you don't want to go home first and finish uploading that annual research thing? I mean, I don't mind waiting a few minutes if-"

"That's barely necessary, sweetheart. It can wait until we come back from the fun we're having tonight. " He spared her a quick look and grinned as he turned to lock the door to his office, feeling warm that she kept it in mind, "thanks for noticing and offering though."

Just a few months later, when Klaus was reading a poem from a book he randomly took from the shelves, he would pinpoint that moment as one of the most important turning point in his ordered life, and notice how it had driven him off the road he'd taken. Little did they know that it was this one wrong decision Klaus made by then that made all the difference.

* * *

Klaus pressed on the gas a little harder, his car gliding into the deserted street behind campus. His eyes searched for the head of angelic gold in the faint evening light and stopped the car at the sight of her delicate figure.

She trotted towards his car after shooting him a shy smile.

"That wasn't too hard," she concluded once she hopped on the car, bringing in both her fruity smell and a tiny whirlwind of the November chill air.

He waited until she buckled up to accelerate, feeling slightly sorry for asking her to go separately in case any of the students saw them walking towards the car park together, "told you so."

He wondered if he should explain himself for this, that he didn't meant to treat her, treat this little… getaway- he'd prefer to place it as a date if he could- as a dirty little secret that shouldn't be known. He was the one who initiated after all, how would he think that? It was just that he had no idea if she felt about this, about him, about them the same way he did, so putting her in any unwanted trouble like being witnessed and rumored and frowned upon by other students would be the last thing he'd do. Even if she did fancy him like he did her, there was that little voice deep down in his head reminding him that he had to handle things carefully this time, that she was hardly just any girl, that she should be cherished. Either way, keeping a low key seemed like the best idea and after their little _talk-_fight actually_-_ in his car last time, Caroline seemed to understand what he was doing was simply trying to protect her.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by her when she inquired, "so Marcel looked quite nice. I thought, from what I've heard-"

"He would be my evil enemy?" Cutting her short, Klaus chuckled and finished the sentence for her. "Don't look so surprised. You know rumors always go first to the ones that are involved.

Receiving a questioned look from the student sitting to his left, he slowly decelerated the car in front of the red signal light, "well, he was once and will forever be my only apprentice. We both had a great time, I'd like to say, during his learning with me and I've always known that one day he's going to go all independent and thrive without me. I mean, that's what apprenticeships are for aren't they? So I've never been mad at him for leaving my wings like what others tend to suspect. The only feeling I've ever have for his success now is pride, and friendship. Plus, we've agreed to compete for the professor position equally and fairly."

Caroline whipped her head towards him as if surprised at his calmness and the sincerity in his tone, "who knows the tyrant of art can be so caring for his once apprentice? If I hadn't seen your interaction just a quarter ago, I would never have believed what you said."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." He tried to play nonchalant by rolling his eyes at first but failed eventually, joining her into the burst of laughter, "Now you know how much you can trust people's words."

"Indeed." She suddenly stopped her singsong giggle and stated seriously, "you know, if I never knew you personally, all my impression on you would only be composed of what other students say about you and how you treated me on my first day in school, and I would've never agreed to hang out with you, after class. But here I am."

Klaus shot her a knowing smile, mind going back to the first day he'd seen her, when he couldn't regard her more than an annoying nuisance, the pain in the ass for the new semester. Thinking of how hard he'd been trying to stop the urge of running his fingers through her golden locks and pressing his lips on her plump ones like they just did accidentally a while ago in the tension-packed car, he pulled over on the side of the road, "lucky you. Because we've arrived at one of the finest bar in London. And you wouldn't even know such wonderful place existed had I not show you the way."

"You're taking me to a _bar_? Now I thought you were my teacher." Unbuckling, she satirized.

He was fast to unbuckle himself and jogged to the other side of the car, opening the door for her gentlemanly, "what's the big deal? I promised you fun for the night. Plus, I'm fortunately off duty now. And believe me, we British are the craziest drinkers in the world. You're not going to regret the night."

She grimaced and took his offering hand to step out of the car, remaining silence until he lead her into the luxury, high ceiling bar space with a glistening chandelier hanging above the circled bar island in the middle of the room.

"Wow," was all she could put to words as she took in the numerous bartenders mixing cup after cup of bejeweled nectar simultaneously in the ring-shaped bar, surrounded by casual drinkers.

Klaus tugged on her hand gently, fingers brushing the sensitive center of her palm while leading her to the burgundy velvet bar seats, "different, isn't this?"

Caroline nodded, still in awe. This place was far from what she'd originally associated to when Klaus mentioned he's taking her to a bar. It had got soft lounge-ish music playing and classy aroma flowing, and definitely without any swaying, sweating bodies and beating dance music. She held her head up high and observed the luxurious décor of the fancy bar, golden Baroque- or was it Roccoco?- angel decorations on wall and all, "I feel like I'm in the Gringotts bank, and any moment a tiny goblin will walk up to me and ask me how they can help."

"Harry Potter fan, huh?" Gesturing to one of the bartenders, Klaus laughed and began his explanation, "you're actually partly right you know, this place used to be a bank back in the 1700s before it got refitted into what it is now in the 19th century. What may I get you then?"

"Wow, so my lecturer is not only taking me to a bar but also buying me a drink?" She joked, and finally caved in under his intense look, "fine, pink lady please."

Klaus couldn't help but cackled at her choice of liquor, but still placed the order anyway, "pink, sweet, Barbie kind of girl I guess?"

Caroline just shrugged, the neckline of her loose white T-shirt lowering slightly as she made the movement, making his mouth water a little under the dim light in the bar, "more of a margarita kinda girl, just didn't what to freak you out."

"Try me," He dared, leaning a little closer to her without noticing the booze being served up, "tell me more about yourself, I promise I'm stronger than going all bananas at the knowledge of the skeletons you keep in your closet."

Perhaps it was his flirty attitude being detected, she grinned mischievously and took a sip of the pink liquid she'd ordered, "and why would I do as you say?"

_Oh God._ He swore he could make out the navy lace bra straps on her shoulders through that see-through top.

"Oh come on, don't be a dull girl. After those texts we've been exchanging, don't you think we can at least do some bonding?" Klaus drew his masculine fingers to his side and held his neat Whiskey in them without tearing his sight from her, "consider it a game. Tell you what, let's play 20 questions so we can know more about each other."

Caroline pretended to ponder before she finally agreed, her knee knocking against his accidentally as she crossed one of her long legs in those skinny dark-washed jeans under another, "let's make it 10."

"Alright. Ladies first." He gestured, blue eyes boring intensely, directly into hers, wondering if she could also feel the heat boiling in this once cool room.

"Let me think about it…umm…" She drummed her fingers against the bar surface, licking her lip-glossed cherry lips unconsciously as she try hard searching in her mind for a question she wanted to ask, the motion driving Klaus crazier- if it was even possible.

Feeling thirsty from both the roaring heat he'd been trying to suppress ever since she entered his office but in vain and the effort he'd put on keeping himself from grabbing her shoulder and crashing his lips onto hers right then and there, he quickly bottomed his tumbler and asked for another.

"Ah-ha!" She called out unexpectedly as a question occurred to her, only adding more life to her spirited, glowing face that Klaus couldn't take his eyes off of, "What's your favorite memory with your family?"

Klaus took another swig before laughing out loud, "really, you spent all that time thinking and you came up with that average question? I thought with the force in you, you'd at least entertain me with some surprise."

"Are we playing this game or not?" She pouted, probably a little dizzy already for all those sleepless nights and the glass of pink lady.

"Okay, okay." He held up both of his hand as if surrendering, smug smirk on his stubbled face, "I guess it must be when I came back from my first visit to Hyde Park with Henrik."

Brows furrowed together, she asked eagerly, "came back? Not exactly spending time there? I thought, as how Henrik told me, it was your favorite place."

"Yes it is, indeed." He cleared his throat before opening his mouth again, trying to focus on what he was going to say instead of how rosey and kissable her cheeks looked, "that was when Henrik was around 3 and my siblings and I first won his custody. It was his first time ever to visit an outdoor facility- I know it sounds weird, but before that he was under control of Mikael and I believe from what I've told you, that explains everything."

She nodded, speechless and concentrated in his words.

"My siblings, they were all occupied that day, Elijah with some school problems to cope with, Kol recording his client's album and Rebekah trying out for the musical she now plays in. I was the only one free. So it left Henrik my responsibility, on my own. You can imagine how I panicked back then, the first time I'd ever have to handle a toddler that I hardly spent time with before," he chuckled, mind traveling miles away, back to that day when Klaus Mikaelson, for the first time in his life, felt totally bewildered, "so what I came up with was to take him out, and truth be told it was a whole lot of mess, Henrik storming here and there, tripping on his left this time and spraining his right next time, for being too excited to have a day out. Then when we finally made it back home at day's end and I saw how my siblings' tired face lit up just at the sight of that little frame sleeping sound in my arms, I know that kid is the redemption for us, and that I would do everything to save him and our family, no matter who or what's in our way."

They were once broken, too broken to ever be fixed and rescued, like walking corpses chased by the weight of life and living, work and the name of Mikaleson. But Henrik's entrance in their lives brought everything to life, suddenly they have something to fight for, suddenly their lives no longer seemed like an endless and tedious curse, Klaus thought to himself.

_Not that she needs to know such specific details._

He brought his chin to his knuckles, elbow propped against the bar, shadows of the family's past swept aside, "that'd be my answer to your first question, love. I believe it's my turn to go then?"

"Go ahead."

Klaus clicked his tongue pleasantly like a boy who'd waited too long to unwrap his Christmas present, "since your first question was quite reserved, I may as well follow suite and start our night with a rather ordinary one: what's your favorite childhood memory?"

"Well that's a tricky one." She thought for a while, "I can't decide between the one when my mom taught me how to cycle or the one when I first met my best friend Stefan. You choose, which do you want to know more?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. These are the moments that made Caroline so Caroline. Totally guardless, innocent, wide-hearted and generous. Of course he'd want to dig into her _favorite_ memory of meeting her best friend when said pal was a male instead of her own sex. "Caroline, It's your turn to answer my question, not mine. But since I'm such openhanded a man, I'd be nice enough to inform you I prefer to hear about the latter memory. And for that I'm taking it as your second question."

"Hey, that's unfair!" Caroline literally stomped on the floor, how was she able to do that while sitting down was the mystery Klaus couldn't bother to study, "I was simply asking for an advice, it's hardly a question! That doesn't count!"

"I feel terribly sorry to enlighten you but the rules are the rules, love."

She scoffed and turned back to face the bar, "fine. But you're so buying me another drink for that."

"Starting to rip your teacher off so early huh?" He joked but waved at the bartender with a genuine smile on, "please tell me you're going to order something more like it, margarita-kinda-girl."

She straightened up her spine and inhaled before she started to speak, somehow looking like a schoolgirl attending this giant speech or spelling-bee contest, "Okay so this is supposed to be a sad story turned out right and it's frigging sacred, so you better sit up and listen close."

He tried to hold back that laugh taking her bossiness as she began to tell how she'd met the poor orphaned boy on he and his brother's parents' funeral, the tension that had made him all bothered had now somehow disappeared into thin air and he was feeling relaxed and enjoying the radiant girl's company. The only tickle that he felt was the suspicion he had for the _supposed_ best friends' relationship. Were they simply friends or is this Stefan mate holding secret torch for this gorgeous, beaming girl in front of him? He wondered, not that it was his place to pry, _not yet_.

"…and Stef's going to visit during Christmas, maybe Damon will tag along, too. Oh I just can't wait to spend time with him after such a long separation." Caroline was chirping in such delight that her eyes twinkled even under the faint illumination the chandelier was giving off.

_Forget it_, Klaus groaned to himself, he had to know it, "so this Stefan bloke, are you two…"

"Together? Oh, no. No. We're just friends. I've known him for too long and too much to develop anything romantic with him. I mean, I even know that he used to still wet his bed at the age of 7. That was second grade!" Did she denied so fast because she didn't want him to misunderstand? Or was it just his bias doing the tricks?

_Either way, it's good news after all._

Feeling relieved, Klaus cackled at her dramatic body language and expression, "whoa, whoa, no need to give me all that detail, sweetheart. How am I going to look him in the eye when he does arrive and I offer you two another tour with that knowledge?"

She was taken aback for a while, then the most stunning grin graced her exquisite face as she leaned into him, hands bracing on his knees without awareness, "you'd do that?"

"Anything for the lady. But since you've lost your right to your second question, I feel obliged to keep this game going by asking my next," secretly praising himself for not sounding too particular with a 'anything for _you_' and scaring her off, he announced, covering one of her hands with his silently, "back when you turned in that London Eye piece, you told me that it was your dream to travel around the world. Any other hopes, or dreams, or whatever else you want in for your life?"

Caroline jumped at the warmth of his hand pressing on hers and seemed to suddenly notice how inappropriate she was to place her palm on her lecturer's knees and quickly pulled back, blush color on both cheeks, "well I still want to see around, I've got my whole blueprint of rocking Eurasia planned out already. But there was this other dream since I was a five-year-old, where I wanted to spend my life peacefully in a tiny, cozy white-fenced house with my husband, 2 kids and a dog before death do us apart. The point is… I don't really know if I still want that, after seeing what this vigorous city has to offer. I mean, look at all those lights at night and the culture, the music, the art throbbing under its skin. I can only imagine how much more is waiting for me to explore and discover in all those different corners on this planet… you know me, I'm the definition of control freak- you can probably find my name in the describing column of that word in Oxford dictionary- and I've hold that dream for like a lifetime. So now I feel a little… disoriented with this confusion and-"

"Trust me, love," Klaus interrupted all too eagerly, head close to the side of hers, whispering both his tickling, warm breath and confident words into her ear, "you're too unlimited a girl with such big dreams to feel satisfied with a pedestrian life in a small town. No offense intended."

Klaus drew back right after finishing his little intimate speech and he could tell she was slightly confused by the truth in his words by the shaky look in her eyes.

_Someone has to grant her the truth sooner or later._ He contemplated and remained silent until she was put together enough to continue their game.

"Okay, question three: What made you want to become an art lecturer?" She queried, fidgeting in her seat.

**AN/**

**Wow I can't believe it's been over a month since I last updated! I feel terribly sorry and I really didn't mean to keep you waiting. This was supposed to be much longer but I didn't want to make the wait any longer so I uploaded what I have for now. The rest will hopefully be presented some time around next weekend.**

**It's just that I have this evil thing called midterm to survive and Gosh I should kill myself for taking Dutch, German and Japanese all at the same time. Back in last semester I thought German was gonna help me pick up some basics in Dutch for they (used to) looked similar to me and now all those similar vocabularies from two different languages are messing up in my head. Not to mention all those characters(akkusativ and daitv are like, hell) and der die das in German. Seriously, are native German speakers all language geniuses? (Well, sorry for the long babbling.)**

**To answer a question many of you asked, I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before because I have totally no idea what's the age gap between Klaus and Care, let's just say he's probably 27 and she's around 20 or 21. I always like it when he's more than 5 years older than her. (older man= huge turn on for me, not that you guys wanna know.)**

**So that was my opinion for Klaus' view on his relationship with Marcel. What do you think? Any theories?**

**That bar mentioned in this chapter is a real place in London, although I hardly remember the name but it's somewhere around Holborn or Covent Garden.**

**And I wasn't kidding when I wrote "British people are the craziest drinkers." God, they really are! Back when I was still in London, there was one day when I was on the tube late at night, and 3 drunk men just hopped on the train fighting and laughing loudly. Then suddenly one of them just dropped to the ground moaning like he was in great pain and suddenly he just stopped. At first his friends were indifferent like they knew he was acting but then 10 minutes passed and he remained motionless and silent on that spot. That was when the whole train started to panic and just as his friends bent down to check on him he literally jumped up and HEAD SLAMMED his friends and burst out into laughter. That was just so crazy I felt relieved when I finally arrived in Kilburn(where I lived during my stay in London).**

**Thanks to the lovely reviews for CH11:** **MJTE, Avid Reader, Chelseab95, tippy093, chillwithJyl, meruhime, goldenhummingbird, jessnicole, au courant, talv1914, Mystery Girl3, MLM24, blackwings007 and Guests**

**And who gave me question suggestions: sortakindamaybeperhaps, Klaroline Universe, tippy093, red08, Chelseab95, AnnaBan23, Mystery Girl3, meruhime, klaroline4everlove, Hollywoodlove09, Adriana and Guests.**

**PREVIEW: More Klaroline feels with some interesting, flirty and even naughty questions!**

**P.S. Review and tell me if you like this chapter, please I need them!**

**And follow me on Tumblr, the link is on my profile:)**

**Most important of all: Do you want me to change the rating into M in the future?**

**I hope I get to update more frequently in May. I'll try my best, but no promises!**

**Love you all, A.**


	15. End Game, the heated kiss

**Another chapter of Klaus' POV!**

**Enjoy, lovelies!**

* * *

"Well, basically, I've always loved art. You might have noticed that most of my family members- even the late ones- devote themselves in the industry, so it seemed natural enough for me to enter the field, too. I couldn't and can't imagine what I should do for living if I didn't do art, it just doesn't seem right when it's like a family trait. I've just never thought about doing something else, truth be told," Klaus stopped in the middle of answering her third question, taking the last sip from his tumbler while looking intensely at her the same time, "as to why lectorship…"

He didn't miss how Caroline's sight followed his fingers when he drew them to his chin, like she'd trade anything to substitute them, to caress his stubble. That was when he knew he wasn't the only one feeling desperate, although he was quite sure she wasn't suffering like he was. He had no idea if it was the liquor doing the tricks or if the want he saw in her twinkling eyes were real, but either case is better than nothing.

That realization made him feel comfortable and confident, like he could trust her with his deepest secret that he'd never told anyone else before, not even his beloved baby brother, "I guess the reason why I tried so hard to get a job in the uni my family see as a family legacy and endeavored to gain the better and upper hand after getting in, was simply to prove to my father. I want to prove that he was wrong, that I'm somebody, that I can achieve something he would acknowledge, even if…"

"His blood doesn't flow in you?" She finished his sentence for him, the act earning her a subtle, grateful smile from her counterpart.

The worry written in her eyes made his heart clench. Not that he would tell anyone that his heart clenches every now and then when she was near, or that he does have a heart in that rib cage of his, but it was the first time that he felt someone outside of his family truly cared for his wellbeing, and would panic for him even for the tiniest incident.

_Such a warm, wide-hearted girl. Full of light._

He grinned and leaned a little closer to her, "that's enough talking about me. Why don't we continue our game so I get my chance to interrogate and beat the answer out from you."

"Ew, kinky." Joking, she let out that melodic laugh he had learned to adore over time and lifted her glass from the bar, "I'll have to have another sip before I take that."

"After taking my class for half a semester now, how do you feel about art? Do I have the pleasure and honor of bringing a novice into the world of beauty and distillations of human creation?"

Taken aback by his question, she tugged her blonde locks behind her ear, exposing one side of her cream-white neck, "didn't see that one coming. What, have you switched to teacher mode? Am I going to get punished if I gave an answer you didn't like? Oh wait, wait, don't answer those two questions, they're not really questions. I don't want to lose 2 chances again, I'll just-"

"Caroline." He swallowed his laughter as he place both his palms on her shoulder, the one on the side where she was showing off the smooth skin on her neck drawing soothing circles without him even noticing doing so, "you're rambling, love. It's okay to say you still don't get any clue in art. Really, it's alright. I get it can't be everyone's cup of tea."

Klaus was lying. Of course it mattered. He wanted her to come to love art like he did; he wanted to be the one who opened her eyes to all those genuine, immortal beauty in this mortal world. And if she happened to like it, to like art, and his course, or even _him_… then maybe, just maybe, he could have her stay for a little longer than the rest of the semester. He thought to himself, trying to drag his thoughts from her own word _punished_ and that snow-white, inviting neckline.

"What? No, no! Of course I like art, I love art!" Caroline's palms shot to the front of her chest, eyes drifted up as if trying to sort out how to put her fleeing in words, "I'm not saying this because you're my lecturer and I wasn't not saying this because you're my teacher either- god I'm rambling again am I? Okay so what I was trying to say was…"

She paused and took in a deep breath, his hands- still on her shoulders- rising and falling simultaneously, "I think I've come to love art so much that it kinda scared me."

Klaus arched his brow to encourage her to continue, which she did sheepishly, "I- I've never done anything without ace-ing it with ease before. Literally, never. I mean, come on, I'm Caroline Forbes, the control freak slash perfectionist. The sky has to change its shade if it doesn't agree with my mood of the day. Back to the topic, I guess, art was the first obstacle I've ever faced in my life. It was something I usually would never lay my hands on, let alone learn about. But you… with all the venom you spat at me, I guess you kinda provoked me to take a step out of my comfort zone."

She flinched a little when his hand left her shoulder and started playing with a loose strand of her hair, the other still rubbing a soothing rhythm near the nape of her neck, but she didn't stop him. He guess that was some sort of silent permission.

"And I thank you for that, I really do, so much. It's just that I've grown to like drawing and painting so much that I wonder what I should do after going back to the States, when no one's there to guide me; that I'm afraid I'm too used to the things and people here to…"

"Then don't go."

"What?" Her dodging eyes were now fixed on his, wide as saucers.

"I said, don't leave then, not so soon." He stroked her cheek with the crook of his index finger as his eyes bore into hers.

Her exquisite brows furrowed as she leaned into his touch subconsciously, "what do you mean by that? How could not leave? My exchange program is only for one semester and so is my student-visa, I can't stay any longer than I was allowed-"

"Was that a question you're asking?" He smirked, enjoying the electricity flowing from her cheek to his finger to his whole body.

She replied in a snap, without hesitation. "Yes, if that's what takes to have the answer, then yes."

Klaus chuckled at her determined and eager expression. This girl was surely far too innocent for her own good. Hadn't she realized that, to this point, he would've present her the stars and the moon, let alone a single answer to a simple question, as long as he could have her angelic blue eyes looking at him just like that? Finally brought his hands back from her, not sure if he was having auditory hallucination when he heard her groan at the absence of the warmth of him, "I'm only answering that one if you answer my next question first."

She rolled her eyes impatiently but eventually nodded her head, "okay, fine."

"Will you stay, for the things and people you just mentioned, if I said I've figured out a way for you to remain a little longer?"

She smiled as if it was a stupid question, "seriously, like you have to ask? You wasted one of your precious ten questions. Yes, I would jump at the opportunity if possible."

"Well jump then." He stretched his arms dramatically as if welcoming, trademark smirk gracing his handsome face.

_Jump, then fall._ Because maybe he'd already fallen, for her.

"Really?" Her lips tugged from ear to ear, "I thought you were kidding when you said you figured out a way, I mean, how?"

He simply shrugged and picked out his phone, "well, it wasn't all me actually. The uni has been working on extending exchange periods for a couple of years now, and since Marcel and I voiced some agreements to that for having a few distinguished exchange students in our courses recently, the school was finally facing up the issue and made it an experiment policy that every teacher in the school could file in recommendations for one exchange student. Once the application was accepted, said student's exchange period will be prolonged for one more semester. Other stuff like visas or dorms will be taken care of by the students' affairs center as well. Guess what, I've already finished writing yours, it's only waiting for your signature to be submitted."

He showed the file of recommendation to her with his phone, and without warning she threw her arms around him like he joked she should a few minutes ago, "thank you, thank you, oh my god, thank you!"

He was stunned at first, but a few seconds later he found his hands tightened around her waist and his nose buried in the lavender scent of her curls, "well, Elijah helped a little as well."

"Gosh I don't know if I could ever thank you enough! I can't believe this, you'll have to pinch me!" Now standing on the floor and in his arms, Caroline was jumping up and down in excitement like a little girl, unaware of how tensed Klaus became with her breast chafing his chest.

God, this girl is making things _hard_. First the cleavage, and the see through top and those bra straps, then this?

Klaus gave her a pat on the back before his pants could become any tighter, "don't hold your breath yet, it' just the application. You'll still have to wait for the board to decide on who to accept, love."

"Oh, right." It seemed like she had suddenly realized how inappropriate her deed was, hugging her teacher so tightly and passionately in public, she pulled away quickly and shot him a sheepish smile while rearranging her hair to distract herself from the awkwardness.

Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden mood change- her expressions were always so fascinating- that he had to spill the peas, "no need to put on that long face, darling. That was an official jargon I just told. You do remember who my brother was in the university right? He'll make sure your name makes it to the announcement of the outcome."

"Wow… that was…" Caroline hopped back to her stool, cheeks still flushed, "well I feel a bit privileged but I guess I can swallow whatever moral I have to stay. Thank you and tell Mr. Mikaelson- I mean Mr. Elijah- you brother, um, whatever, that I am grateful for the troubles he'd gone through for me."

He shook his head as he stuffed his smartphone back to his pocket, "no big deal. I'll mail the recommendation and application form to you, and all you have to do is print them out, fill the form, sign the recommendation, and send them to the international affairs office."

She nodded, and they fell in that familiar silence again, only this time Klaus was in fact enjoying the speechlessness. He used to feel awkward and wanted to fill the blank whenever she was around and they weren't speaking. Somehow, at some point they'd gone to where he found pleasure in drowning in this ambiguous, unspoken, tensed, sparky atmosphere. Never had he felt the same way with anyone else before.

"So, it's your turn to fire the fifth round." He gestured, waving at the bartender for refill.

"Yup, I think I've come up with a question." Was he seeing things, or are her cheeks really burning red at the mention of her next question?

Caroline fidgeted, so unlike her usual confident self, her head low in case of any eye contact, "I was wondering, since I'm staying, would you, would you…"

The last part of her sentence was too lightly spoken that it fade away into the quiet jazz background music. Klaus had to ask for her to repeat, "Love, I can't hear you like that. You know you can ask me anything and I'll be willing to answer. I'm an open book."

She peeked through her draping curls, inhaled sharply before repeating her words a bit louder, only loud enough for him to catch her, "would you take me as your second apprentice, after Marcel?"

There were few things on earth that could surprise Niklaus Mikaelson- his father, his godforsaken siblings sometimes, and the choice of color and outfit the receptionist at the Art College made every day (it was the most tragic catastrophe ever in human history, according to Rebekah)- but none of them shocked him like Caroline just did. He could live his life 9 times again and still never would he see that question coming.

He pondered a while on why she was asking for that, and how he should put his response in words, but he didn't have to think for the answer itself, not even a second.

Because there was no need to. There will only be one answer.

His finger slid down to her chin so he could lift her beautiful face up, "Caroline, love, before I give you my answer, you have to know I feel honored to be asked what you just did, and anyone who gets to teach you should be the luckiest teacher in the world… now, are you sure you want to know what my answer is?"

She lowered her sight to dodge his, unable to escape too far with his hand under her chin, and finally squeezed her eyes shut before cringing, "no I don't think so, not after what you just said."

He could see the slight hurt of feeling rejected on her face, and he felt guilty and morbidly satisfied all at once. Oh, how he wished she would listen to him.

_If she would only give in and listen to just a little of what he intended to say, she would know there could be so much more than mere apprenticeship between them._

As enjoyable as Caroline's sad expression might be, Klaus couldn't bring himself to prank on her for too long, "I believe it is my turn to inquire."

Speechless, she nodded.

"Ever been in love?" Now that he seemed to gain the upper hand among the two of them, the insecurity ebbed and he was again the smug Klaus, bold enough to push a little further with his questions.

It was quite strange, that after her previous question that had embarrassed her to hell she had somehow taken this question better with the blush on her cheeks slowly receding, like it wasn't something that normal teachers and students would never be sharing in their conversations. Then again, she was of course not normal at all. She was phenomenal, extraordinary, exquisite, perfect, the list could go on forever.

And that line of pearl white teeth when she cracked that grin as she spoke…

"Yes, once, or twice before."

He rolled his eyes and rotated his hand to urge her to go on, "you're not expecting that I let you go that easily for this question, are you?"

That made her grinned wider and rolled her eyes back at him, "okay. So if I was honest I would tell you there were far more relationships I've had during high school, if you would count them as relationships for lasting no more than 3 weeks on average. So I'll just tell the serious ones-"

Before she could continue, he voiced his perplexity, "wait, does that mean you indulged in numerous one night stands, or fast-food relationships in your teen years?"

She simply shrugged, "they're having them on me, if accuracy is what you're looking for." She sipped and went on, "I wasn't always like this, used to be quite…wait, was that a question that you asked? Hey, that's gonna count!"

"You didn't finish the answer so I guess I still have 5 more chances left-"

She smacked him on the arm and giggled, "no, _the rules are the rules_, remember?"

"Fine. I have 4 left. Go on."

The victorious smirk graced her face and as proud as Klaus was, he swore he could surrender anything to her- even his last piece of pride- on a silver platter and all she had to do was ask.

"So there was Matt the football- uh, rugby player, we dated for like…"

Klaus knew he should pay attention to her love stories if he wanted to get to know more about her likes and hates, how to get to her and so on, but he couldn't bring himself to understand any of her words even if he tried to. He was simply too absorbed in the ways her face would light up when she talked about her good times with the men she once loved, and how her frowning brows would drop when she recalled how one of them had cheated on her. A hint of jealousy was shimmering in the corner of his mind, but he managed to shove it away and tried his best to dwell on the fact that she was stealing glances at him every now and then with her bottom lip captured between her teeth and her cheeks a tint of rosey pink during her animated storytelling.

_She was sitting in front of you now._ He thought to himself, and in near future he would make sure that she only smile like that when she was talking about or looking at him.

"Klaus, Klaus? Knock knock, anyone home?"

The ring her voice brought to his name brought him back to reality. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"I just asked you my sixth question," she gave her that oh-so-Caroline judgemental glare of fake disapproval, "since I've basically poured my history of personal romance to you, I guess it's only fair if you do the same to me."

He sighed, asking for another refill for the both of them, certainly not keeping track of the amount they'd consumed, "well you're going to regret asking this question."

She huffed and lifted her crossing leg so she could switch, only embarrassing herself by nearly tipping over on the stool.

Klaus caught her at once and the heat that's radiating from his palm to her arm was only making her fuzzier and drowsier, "wow I guess the alcohol is getting to me."

"Do you want to call it a night then? You look like you're in need of a good night's sleep." He pulled out his keys and almost raised his hand to pay before she held out hers, "wait, wait, wait! I'm not going to go home without listening to what'll make me regret. Besides, I'm not that bad, I can handle a few hours more. You'll just have to stop trying to intoxicate me with more drinks though."

"You sure?" he asked seriously, both hands on her shoulder to make sure she was conscious enough to make the right decision, worried eyes boring into her blurred ones.

She nodded and giggled. She was close to or maybe already drunk, but according to herself, she was still far from blind and passing. And since Klaus himself wasn't exactly a gentleman his family and the society had expected him to be, he went on with her so he could indulge in a few more minutes of her company, "you really shouldn't drink this much when you're alone with a man, you know."

"I don't do this, normally."

Klaus tried his best not to wonder if this meant he was special, or she trusted her like he already did, or that she was open to… never mind, and called off her refill before telling the truth of his romance record, "there's nothing to be told, really. I mean, I've had my… experiences but I never call them love. Just pass-times, I guess, I don't even think I fancied them."

"See who's having numerous one night stands now," she said sarcastically, her bright face darkened a shade or two, "so, nothing more? No names, no heart-breaking places never to mention, or dates that you wish you could forget? God, you're right. I wasted that one."

He just shrugged and urged her to go on the seventh round, but she suddenly exclaimed, like Archimedes had hailed _Eureka_.

"I know, I know!" She leaned towards him, her elbows and most of her weight propped against the bar, "my seventh question is…. Are you gay?"

"What?" If Klaus wasn't sure about her consciousness before, he was certain that she must be wasted now, at least her mind was.

"You know, it makes sense! You never loved any woman because you've been looking for wrong targets! Oh, maybe you don't even know the answer to this yourself? Not that there's anything wrong with being homosexual. What I'm trying to say is, how could a man like you," She elaborated her well-crafted theory while performing a dramatic take-in from his head to toes, "never loved before?"

_I'm never letting her drink this much again. _He secretly made up his mind.

"Caroline, love," he couldn't help but laugh, "have you not caught what I meant by having my 'experiences'? I've had my fair share of women."

But she contradicted that, claiming sometimes things like that happened before the true sexual preference dawned on a man.

What made Klaus want to laugh even more-if that was possible- was how much she was tangled in her own insane fantasy. Should he be worried about the fact that she was so convinced by herself that it seemed she was not the least interested in him?

"Caroline, I'm. not. Gay." He sat up straight and still, pronouncing as clearly and seriously as he could, and before she could retort again, he played on his trump card, "if the only way to shut your mouth and thought to this topic is to prove it to you that I'm as straight as I really am, I would be more than willing to practice what I preach with you, _love._"

Having the speech finished with the most suggestive tone he could put on at that moment, he winked at the taken-aback Caroline, "question 7 for you, Miss sexual-preference-expert. What are your thoughts on me?"

She cocked a brow and pouted, clearly unhappy with what Klaus told her to stop her crazy train of thoughts. He didn't have to do it the hard way. (But if you asked Klaus, he would probably argue that it was the simplest and most efficient way to knock the truth into her thick little head.) "i.e. if I still think you're gay? You've made your point, I get it, you're as straight as a ruler, or a pencil, okay? Lame question."

Looking at her grumpy face, he chuckled, "no, as in now that you know I'm straight, and I've never really loved a woman before, and why I teach art, what do you think of me? A teacher, or anything other than that?"

"Oh." She then braced her chin on the bar, two milky-white arms stretched across its top like a lazy yet elegant feline and said innocently "definitely more than a teacher, Klaus."

Her words made his heart beat a little faster, her casual tone disappointing him at the same time.

"You're kind of a mentor to me now, a guide in the world of art. And you're a friend, of course." She kept on stating, totally unaware of the change of mental state Klaus was undergoing.

Is she deliberately limiting him down to friend zone? Or does the word 'friend' meant more than mere friend to her? Possibilities, or opportunities maybe?

Caroline turned her head to face him unexpectedly, and found his intense eyes fixed closely on her as if trying to read a complicated book or art piece, "What are you looking at?"

"Yes?"

"I asked, what are you looking at? What's so fascinating about me?" She joked and started checking on her appearance simultaneously, wondering if her mascara had melted or if her lip gloss had stained her cheek.

"I was fascinated because you are fascinating, it's that simple and true." Before he could second think and stop himself, the words had rushed out of his mouth in a matter-of-fact tone.

And again, she was embarrassed. She turned her head and dodged his sight, cheeks burning a fire engine red.

Why was she so shy? Just an hour ago Klaus thought she was interested in him too.

"You know that counts as a question do you? So here comes mine." He announced before she could protest, determined to find out what was going on in the mind of the girl beside him, "since we've come to the eighth question and it's almost the end of the night now, we might as well go for some excitement: What is a major turn on for You?"

"Seriously?" Caroline shot up in her seat, staring at him in disbelief, "now who's the drunk one?"

"Come on, I dare you. Answer that one, and you can ask me something more…extreme in return."

She rolled her eyes, hands posing as protection in the air, "I'm not answering that. The fact that you don't care being asked something like that doesn't mean I don't care! Not everyone is okay with this, this is…too over the top!"

"Oh, don't be a dull girl, Caroline. I thought we're at least friends now, we can try something crazy and fun!" He tempted good-naturedly, although that ever present smug smirk was still on.

"You do know you sound like a lech, right? And if I didn't know you well enough I'd be at the police office accusing you of sexual harassment by this moment." She sneered but gave in eventually, "okay fine. I guess I've always have a thing for human bones. Like blade bones, collar bones, the hump on outer wrists, and the nape of the back of necks… a leak sight of that and kiss there set me on fire. Now my turn to embarrass you."

When Klaus teased her with the previous question, he wasn't expecting her to go all that detailed on her answer, so he supposed maybe she was provoked and would ask him something even more… ridiculous, but she just settled with 'what do you consider the sexiest thing about you?'

"That I'm a good kisser?" He held out his hand and brought her right one to his lips, kissing the bone of her once soring and hurting wrist while saying, "and that I share an interest to kiss all these different body parts?"

Klaus saw her bit her lower lip and an expression he just couldn't read flashed, then she withdrew her hand roughly back to herself, retrieving back to a seemingly safer zone, rushing to end the game, "last question and we can go home, I'm starting to feel dizzy. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?"

"I'll have to answer that with my next question."

Caroline furrowed her brows, "okay, I'm interested, go on."

"It's not really a question though, take it as a bet." He eyed her and waited for her to signal her agreement, which she did, "I bet… I can kiss you, without touching your lips."

"How is that even possible? The definition of the word kiss must have something to do with the lips, you should go check up Oxford dictionary or anything," she argued, the control freak in her getting the upper hand to her girly, flushed, fluffy side of self.

And he just laughed, "that's why it's a bet! Are you taking it or not?

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really." He held out his hand, once again. But this time, it stopped in the middle of the space between them, and waited patiently for her to link it instead of being the initiative.

She shook it after taking it. "What's the bet then?"

"You choose, I'm open to anything that's not too kinky or creepy." He joked, their hands still joint.

That earned him another eye-roll from her, "talk about kinky. I can't come up with a bet this fast. How about you owe me one, and when I'm in need you help me unconditionally?"

"As long as it hurts nobody- not my family, not my career- I owe you one." He agreed.

"Bet's on then." She agreed.

Just with that, he pulled her to him with their joint hand all of a sudden and crushed his lips on hers, hard. He could sense that she was stunned at first, but in an instant her walls fell and she loosened, allowing him to nip and bite and take pleasure on her luscious lips, and she kissed back. The kiss started off chaste, it was all a bet after all, but there seemed to be chemistry in it, and without catalyst their blood started boiling and the temperature was soaring, making it hard for the both of them to breathe.

"You touched, my lips," she insisted between the heated kiss, only separating herself from him for the much-needed air, "you owe me one now."

He kissed her once more before admitting, "worth it."

* * *

**Hey guys! This is suuuuuuuper long! The longest I've ever done so I hope you liked it!**

**I know, I know. I delayed again, and I'm super sorry. It's just the TOEFL test is coming up in June and I've just decided to take IELTS as well so things are running wild these days. But I guess after all these time you're all immune to my lack of punctuality if you're still sticking with me, right?**

**Okay enough with that. Did you enjoy the kiss? That's the second time, but the first real one, though. In case you spot any familiarity, I adapted that part from the scene when Clive Owen literally steals a kiss from Jennifer Aniston in the film ****_Derailed_****. Epic scene. I watched it when I was like 9 and it stuck with me until now.**

**And that was your 10 questions! Do you guys like it? I wasn't planning on it but the questions you gave me were just too interesting and I thought it would be fun if all of the questions were from you. You might find some slight adjustments to the questions you gave me, though. And for those whose questions aren't in the chapters, it's not that they're not good enough, it's just that they might come to push the story too far and too fast for my plot so unfortunately I couldn't do them even though I was eager to.**

**I also hope you don't find this chapter too boring or repetitive, had a giant writers' block dealing with it. Please share your thoughts with me in that lovely box below! You know it does make a difference, see, I'm changing the rating into M in several chapters! (Yes, Klarosex!)**

**Last but definitely but the least, thanks to the reviewers from last chapter, you have no idea how you lit up my days: ****_ AnnaTom23, Chelseab95, April420, au courant, Mystery Girl3, jessnicole, chillwithJyl, MJTE, Maaaarianne, klaroline4everlove, goldenhummingbird, Eneilson, meruhime and Guests._**

**Special thanks to _Eneilson_**** who corrected my vocab choice in CH12, those little elf-y creatures in Harry Potter are goblins, not dwarves. Thank you so much!**

**Preview: Care's POV on their night out and dum, dum, dum, Elena lays her cards on the table.**


	16. So Young, the haunting past

Caroline could feel her cheeks burning like red coal even under the chill caress of the English November night breeze.

They had exploited the bills he'd paid for their drinks to their full, only retreating when the bartender informed them that the bar was closing in 5 minutes. Both too drunk to drive, they agreed that a walk in the late air might as well help them rid a little of the foreseeable hangover and headache that was going to demand attention like a bitch the next morning.

So now, walking beside her lecturer-a little too close frankly speaking, not that she was complaining- on the London streets, Caroline clutched her bag in both hands stiffly, trying her best to run through their night- crazy night- out in her chaotic mind and avoid having any eye contact with the man next to her at the same time.

_Wow._ That was the only word she could thought of as a conclusion. They had kissed accidentally. He had asked her out. She had took the invitation pleasantly. Of all the numerous places in this great city he could have taken her to, he had taken her to a luxury bar. They had drank together. They had played that 10 questions game like two stupid teenagers in cliché romance movies. He had touched her, not for the first time, but the first time in such intimacy. The game had gone wild. He had kissed her. And she had kissed back, which came out to be quite awkward since she didn't know what to say, how to act, where to place her limbs and herself when her sense finally decided to function again and she pulled back.

_Yup, wow. And ouch._ Caroline gave herself a mental slap. What was she doing? From the peek she sneaked from Klaus, she could tell he was holding up fine, calm and smug as ever. In other words, the perfect opposite to the state she was in now.

Of course he'd be calm and normal. He'd probably become well skilled over the years with his fair share of women- according to his own words-and on the contrary, being several years younger than he was, Caroline was only lucky enough not to show her inner turmoil.

_Get a grip, Forbes! You were Ms. Mystic and you've also had your share of man, or rather teenagers, back in high school! Panic isn't something you should do! _She thought to herself and sighed silently, knowing chilling down like Klaus was the last thing she was capable of at this moment. How could she? All of her romantic experiences were made when she was still a shallow girl too eager for love to even make sure what she was getting was even it, and he was the man who didn't love.

_Yup, that._ He didn't love. Never before. And part of her doubted if he would in the future.

She was no match to him in that field, that much she knew.

"You cold?" His rough voice knocked her out of her thought and out of reflection, she rose her gaze to meet his for the first time after they left the bar.

She didn't catch what he said, only understanding what he meant when he took off his thin jacket and offered it to her, holding both shoulders up behind her to help her wear it like a perfect gentleman.

"Thanks," she debated whether to reject his kindness but decided to just run along, for she wasn't sure how long she could hold herself when eye contact was inevitable if she did bring up the conversation about how she was feeling right then- about the temperature, of course.

As if able to read her mind, he chuckled after returning to her side, "how did you like our hanging-out then?"

"I liked it a lot. It was a fun night, probably the most fun I've had since arriving in London. Thank you, for the night and the drink." She replied, counting the bricks on the pavement as they progressed.

His hand flew to her shoulder as a speeding bike dashed pass them, coming out of nowhere. Caroline's heart clenched and swelled at the gesture.

Clearing his throat, he withdrew his hand as he apologized if his sudden action frightened her, "I wonder what the need was to bash and barge at such late hours."

"The guy probably have some urgent errands to run," she replied, secretly missing the warmth of his hand, "you didn't have to do that- not that I'm not grateful- I was on the inside. You should have protected yourself for walking on the outside of the sidewalk."

Instead of answering her latest question, Klaus chose to respond what she said earlier, "the pleasure is all mine. I'm glad you liked our night out. "

They spent the next five minutes walking speechless, sparks flying silently between them as they strolled. The torture was exquisite on the way but it reached its peak when they finally made it to the corner where she could see her dorm building.

"I guess this is when we call it a night then," she stated, not knowing what to say when the distance between the bar and her dorm was too short and time flew too fast. She wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

He nodded, the signature smirk gracing his face in the dim street lamp light, "see you on Saturday then."

She shot him a shy smile before turning her back on him and started fishing her student ID. It was mere moments after she took the target out of her bag to unlock the digital lock of the dorm gate when she felt that strong pair of arms held her from behind and turned her to face him once again.

And before she got a clue of what was going on, his warm lips were pressed on her cheek. It was a chaste peck and the contact broke in an instant, but before he pulled back fully, he whispered into her ear, heated breath tickling her ear lobe, "I'd like to taste those lips one more time, or kiss all those places you said would turn you on earlier tonight before we end the night, love. If this isn't your dorm building we're standing in front of. Now go upstairs before I change my mind and make you the topic of every student's gossip. Call me when you arrive in your room. I'll wait here and make sure you've make it back safely."

And all Caroline could do was obey numbly, the shock and his insistence on making sure she was safe in such late time getting to her heart in an indescribable way.

She opened the gate and climbed the stairs and pressed call on her phone in autopilot mode.

"Klaus, I'm in my room now." She locked the door behind her, the fizz and fuzz still blurring her mind.

Hell, she could picture the masculine outline of his stubbled face listening to his chuckle, "goodnight and sleep tight, love. And as I always say, sweet dreams for sweethearts."

"Goodnight to you, too." She bade, almost ready to hang up.

"Hang on," Klaus's voice flew out if the receiver unexpectedly, "Caroline…"

"Yes?"

"You know, the only reason I refused to accept you as my apprentice was because I wanted us to be much more than that. I believe we can be."

And with that, he hung up without farewell.

It wasn't until she let the phone drop out of her hold unconsciously and slid down against her dorm room door, melting into a pool that she snapped back into conscious.

God, she had feelings for her lecturer, and he might have feelings for her as well.

She should be celebrating the realization.

* * *

"But I don't, okay?" Caroline frowned at the computer screen before sinking her teeth into her makeshift breakfast, an apple, for the hangover morning.

Stefan frowned back on the other side of the ocean, "why not? From what you told me, you like this Klaus guy- wow his name sounds German or French- and he likes you back. And I think he sounds decent so far, better than any guy behind your back when we were in Mystic Falls. You should be cheering!"

"There's just something wrong, Stef," she sighed, having another bite, "and BTW and FYI, the name's possibly from German or somewhere in the north than that. They have similar names in France that starts with a C instead of a K but Claus or Klaus doesn't matter because his name's actually Niklaus. Trust me, I've googled."

Her words caught her best friend speechless for a second or two, his mouth a gape before he finally regained his verbal ability, "Care, you're rambling again. And you've googled this guy, there must be something between you two. Tell me what's wrong."

Frustrated by the fact that, Stefan being Stefan, he was always too keen and sharp when it comes to her wellbeing, Caroline exhaled. "He's my lecturer, Stefan."

"Well that didn't seem to bother you when you went out with him and kissed him last night. What's the problem, Care, the real one."

Shoulders sagging, she groaned and pressed her hand on her face as she surrendered, "God, Stefan, you should study journalism instead of nursing. This interrogating thing, you're good at it."

Yet her softening down didn't stop him from staying close, even at the other side of the screen. "Just let the cats outta the bag, Care bear."

"It's just… he said he's never fallen in love before. And it kind of makes sense, no, it only make sense this way. You haven't seen him in person, Stef. He's such a lone wolf, so intense, so proud and aloof, like, like a cold nobleman. I just can't imagine anyone standing beside him, except his family."

Stefan arched his brow and encouraged, "and…?"

"There's no _ands_, Stefan, the worst part is there's no ands! We kissed, we hugged, he said he wanted us to be something more, but what if what he meant by something was actually nothing to me? what if he only wanted to…" with a sudden strike of panic, Caroline's pitch and volume rose, only to fall again and gradually fade out with her dropping confidence.

Stefan drew his hand to his chin as if thinking, "so you mean you don't think he'll ever be able to love another?"

"Yes, that, that." Like a drunk man who was unable to find his words, she let out a relieved breath at the conclusion her understanding pal made.

"Okay…but seriously, Care, why dwell on this?" on the other side of the line, Stefan sat up and reasoned in a serious tone, "you said yourself, you guys have feelings for each other. That's good, good enough for now. I mean, you like him, but you don't _love_ him, right? Why ask for so much when you can't chew what you wish to bite?"

Stefan always had the ability to shot the bull's eye of every problem, and this time he caught Caroline off guard again. "But if he doesn't… if one day I … Where is this heading to, if this isn't going to be a healthy, long term relationship?"

"Look, Care, I'm not trying to throw cold water on you, but with your teacher-student relationship and you only staying for such a short period in that foreign land… don't you think this- whatever you're having there- was destined to be a fling, a winter fling from the very beginning?"

His words had her eyes wide like saucers, "Stefan! I thought you were the one who always scolded me for not having serious relationships back in high school!"

"Yes I was. But this is different. You're already in this swirl, this whirlwind and I can't help pull you out of it on the other side of the shore. And I believe your taste for men must have improved over the years, at least from what I've heard so far, this Klaus guy seemed better than any other douchebag you dated before." Stefan explained, meanwhile his hand waving in the air like a weatherman elaborating the invisible charts and diagrams behind him. "And you've been out of relationship for so long, Care. You've been single since college, you deserve to have someone to spend time with, as long as you're careful."

"Careful for wha- Oh, are you suggesting me to go through a fast-food-relationship, or a… multi-night-stand? Wow, who are you, what have you done to Salvatore?" Caroline queried sarcastically while her heart dropped secretly, knowing that even Stefan, her friend on the other side of Earth, knew this, her so-called relationship with Klaus, wasn't going anywhere.

He joked, trying his best to lift her mood like he always did. "Just be careful not to invest too much in it and enjoy what you have for now, okay? Keep that in mind, and try not to screw up within a month. Because I'll be there with you by then and I'll have to punch him in the face if I see a drop of tear on yours."

"Fine. Will pick you up at Heathrow." She hid her smile with a pretended huff, feeling good that at least his over-protective characteristic was still there when everything had obviously turned upside down during the last 2 months.

"I'll mail you before boarding, just in case you forget."

"Hey, in case you've forgotten, I'm the ever organized Caroline Forbes, and I don't forget anything, okay?"

He snickered. "Who knows? You're having feelings for the first decent guy I've ever heard you mention and he happened to be a foreign lecturer of yours, so the organized Forbes must have gone on her holiday, right?"

Before Caroline could retort, Stefan went off line and the screen darkened. Even worse was that she couldn't find words to protest and defend herself.

_Crap._

* * *

After calming herself down from the heart attack Stefan had given her- well, she had given herself, speaking precisely- Caroline went to her morning courses and did her best to avoid the art buildings for she couldn't stand risking to see a certain Brit in person now. Neither could she concentrate in class. How could she? All she could think about was Stefan's exhortations and her night with that man. God, _that man_!

That was why she couldn't help but feel relieved when the bell chimed and she was finally free to go back to her dorm and apply a dose of stress-cleaning.

Caroline was dealing with the joint living room when her roommate entered their room with a handful of bags.

Elena had been avoiding her for days now and it seemed only likely that the brunette figured her blonde roommate would be staying in her own partition when she arrived that she felt safe to waltz in without hesitation. Caroline could practically see her expression froze when Elena spotted her in the corner of the living room, trying to find a way to yield more room from her easel and numerous paintings.

"Hey," Caroline was the one to break the ice, voice dry and awkward and all.

Elena ran her fingers through her straight, brown hair before finally breathing out, "hey. So you're cleaning? Sorry I should have helped with the living room, shared place."

Feeling glad that they're bridging the gap again, Caroline shot a sheepish smile and shook her head, "it's no big deal. I like cleaning whenever I need time to blank out or think, and I've finished tidying my room and I can't really invade yours so there left the living room."

Elena flinched a little when the blonde said she needed to think. She put the bags she was holding on the ground, the opening sagging at the same time, revealing their content.

"Are those dancing costumes?" Caroline pointed at the colorful clothes peeking out of the bags.

Elena's sight shifted downwards for a second and nodded, "yup, for the Christmas performance the dance club's doing."

"Would you like to come? To the performance?" Caroline hummed in response and was going to resume to her chores before Elena blurted out, "we're doing it from the 22nd to Christmas eve, on the lawn in front of the tech building. Bonnie's coming on Christmas eve…"

"I'd love to," Caroline grinned and extended her arm to receive the ticket her roommate was holding out, "but you'll have to grant me with an extra ticket because Stefan will be tagging along by then."

Then after the brunette stuck out another ticket the room fell into that awkward silence again. They had never been like this before, not since they'd met.

All of a sudden Bonnie's encouragement voiced in the back of her mind, and Caroline decided that it wasn't like her to fall prey to these man-related quarrels like those petty girls in stupid teen movies like _Mean Girls_, because come on, she might be a high school queen bee but she was far better than being _that pathetic_.

Hell, she'd been panicking and out of sanity for Klaus for the past few weeks or months, she might as well get a grip and knock herself back to the old Caroline and show her friends –including Stefan- that she was perfectly capable of dealing things her way. And fixing her friendship with Elena seemed like a good choice as step one.

So she stood up from her squatting pose and cleared her throat, "Elena, I think we need to talk."

* * *

"I still don't approve this thing you have for Klaus," Elena downed her cup of tea after Caroline confessed her night out with Klaus and how he seemed to reciprocate her feelings to some _certain extent_, "and I know I'm the one who added fuel to the fire unconsciously but this is a real thing and once you indulge in it there's no going back. It's different from mere joke and sport."

Massaging her temples, Caroline sighed as she searched for the briefest way to clear things up but in vain, "well I'm glad there's finally someone who actually have faith in whatever indulgence that is waiting ahead. Someone else told me it shall just be a winter fling, a game both players can enjoy while it lasts. So thanks for the confidence vote, glad you think there's no going back."

"You know that's probably the same thing, or rather two sides of the same coin, no going back and this love game?" Elena peeked from her long eyelashes, careful as if testing water.

"Can you please speak English, Elena Gilbert?"

It took the brunette a minute to contemplate and eventually made up her mind, even though she still had to inhale sharply before she spill the beans, "so I used to spend a lot of time with the girl next door, April, back in New York."

Caroline nodded to show that she was listening, although she had no idea what Elena's story back in the East Coast could have to do with her relationship with Klaus.

"April and I, we were best friends since kindergarten and we go to school together until we couldn't anymore. Everything changed in our high school junior year." Elena swallowed before continuing, "one day she told me our new Italian teacher was hot. I thought she was just joking, or being a horny teenager we all were by then so I ignored her subsequent babbling about him. Then another day she suddenly stopped talking about him, I thought she had simply got over him and switched target to drool over, you know, teenage girls are always like that."

Elena let out a slight laugh, but Caroline could sense there was something other than pure nostalgia in the past tense she used while telling the story.

"But it wasn't that easy, hell, life is never easy." It was when Caroline found the moisture in Elena's eyes, but the brunette kept on talking regardless of the tears that were threatening to pour, "April only stopped talking about him because she couldn't anymore. They managed to develop into a relationship so they had to keep a low key. No one knew about them at first, not any student, not me, not even his WIFE. I just felt a bit lonely that she was spending less and less time with me and she no longer shared her thoughts and secrets with me. But that didn't last long, all secrets has an end that makes it no longer a secret. When their affair came to light the heads of our school was furious. They fired him and suspended April, which was good for her I guess, since every student were jumping at the chance to ridicule and sneer at the girl who crawled her way to the teacher's bed."

Caroline cringed at the last expressions Elena used, knowing it would be what she'd be called if anything really happened between her and Klaus and it was discovered. Sure she wasn't an underage student anymore, she was a young adult who was her own person and was able to make her own decisions, but all the same, people would still talk.

"I was at April's doorstep every day during her suspension but it wasn't until the last day that she stopped refusing to see me. She was so different, thin and dull and gloomy when I finally get to see her in person, so unlike the spiritual bestie I had over the years. She said she wanted to see her lover for one last time, and asked if I would cover up for her." Elena shed a tear, which she wiped away the second it fell, "of course I said yes, she was my friend and she was hurting, how could I not help her? So I told her parents she was spending the night at mine to catch up with the studies she'd missed during suspension while the truth was she sneaked to his house. I only wished she would be happy again and forgot that jerk when I saw her in school next day. Only she didn't. Rumors have it that she asked him, in front of his wife and children, if he loved her. And he said never ever. Such a coward. Well no one really know the truth because she never returned home that night. The next time people saw her, she was in a crashed bunch of iron that used to be her car, and the police said it wasn't accident. She committed suicide."

Caroline gasped at the unexpected turn of the story while Elena helped herself with some tissue, "so this is why you disapprove Klaus and me so much?"

"Believe me, Care, I want you to be happy, and I can see you're happy when you're with Klaus now. But that's just for now." Elena sniffed, "he might have interest in you, but are those feelings for real? Or is it just like what your other friend said, it's just a pastime, a game to sport around while you're still here? We all know you're just staying for one semester, and so does Klaus."

"Umm, I'm staying longer now actually, and Klaus kind of helped with that, so…" Caroline retorted weakly, wondering if she would ever be able to pluck up the courage and tell Elena not to compare Klaus with that douchebag Italian teacher after knowing the end of the story, when she herself wasn't all that confident with this either.

"And how will he react when others find out about you two, if you keep going down that path? Caroline, he's competing for that professor position and he can't afford any rumor if he want that status. Which do you think ranks higher on his priority list, you or the job?" Elena analyzed, and without being given the answer, Caroline knew what the obvious result was like more than anyone else in the world. But still, she couldn't find a way to rid herself of her feelings for Klaus.

Elena's hand found its way to Caroline's and squeezed it. The brunette gave her a supposed-to-be-reassuring smile, "Care, I know I'm just your friend and I don't have the right to tell you what to do or who to fall for, but I just want you to know that my worries are reasonable and I was only trying to prevent the history from happening again- not that I think you'll kill yourself, you're stronger than that, I know. Just protect yourself, and try your best not to break your heart, okay?"

* * *

Kol sauntered into his baby brother's room. It was late in Friday night and he volunteered to put Henrik in bed.

"What are you doing there, Brother?" He inquired as he lowered himself behind the little boy, who was standing in front of the drawer that was apparently way too big for a boy of his age.

The boy in question almost tripped pulling out a jacket from the bottom of a pile of folded clothes as he answered delightfully, "I'm packing! Nik and Caroline and I are going on our field trip tomorrow!"

"Ah, that I remember!" Kol held out his arm to help push the leaning pile of clothes back to its place before it could fall and drown his favorite brother, "and that Caroline, I recall you like her a lot, you even proposed to her, right?"

Henrik was so focused on stuffing the coat in his backpack that he only spared his big brother a nod as a response.

Little did Henrik know it was at that moment that the trademark mischievous smile graced Kol's face, as if he was a fisherman that got a big, fat fish hooked. "And as much as I hate to admit this, I figure Nik would be your favorite brother besides the one that's in front of you, right?"

"Kol, Nik's my favorite brother." Kol tried to ignore the unspoken meaning that lied in his innocent brother's reply. He was on a mission, after all. "So what if both you and Nik liked Caroline and she could only choose one between the two of you?"

Henrik didn't even hesitate, not even a second, to give his answer.

And with that, Kol shot him a content smile and pulled his little boy in to whisper his genius plan into his ears.

* * *

**AN/**

**Hello my lovelies! Did you enjoy the chapter? I know there's less Klaroline this time, it's more like a filler chapter that contains some must-happens to push the story.**

**Anyway, I really hope you like this because (bad news, drum roll) I might not be able to update until August! Yeah, I know, long time huh? My TOEFL test is coming up this Saturday (yup, I just peed in my pants) and after that comes final. And I'll be flying all the way to the States the very next day of my last final test (I wonder if I have any time for packing) for this godforsaken family trip. And by family trip, I don't mean my mom and dad and siblings family. It's the whole family who share- or don't share- the same last name, like aunties and grandparents and the long list keeps going. They're lovely most of the time but when we travel and everyone's tired they can be really annoying, bless me. With all these elders slash tech-haters tagging along I'm not sure if I'll get any time or chance to make any contact with my computer, let alone update. I'll still try my best to type and put on another chapter before August (because come on, I hate long waits, too) but no promises. Please be patient with me and stick with this story, I promise there are some goodies waiting for you all in next chapter.**

**So in this chapter we have the neutral Stefan and the disapproving Elena. Although Elena isn't my favorite character in the show (seriously, if I didn't need someone to disapprove Klaroline in this story I would've used Katherine), I still have to do my-version-of-Elena justice: she's just looking out for her friend.**

**Also, I've been working on this new short 4 or 5 parter Klaroline story recently, in order to practice smut-writing before the big day (or chapter?) falls on this story. Like I said before, it's going to be my first smut attempt in a foreign language if I really changed the ratings of ****_Beauty_**** into M. But you all know how I value this story and I just didn't want to jeopardize it with my lame writings again, so I'll have my first smut done in another fic beforehand, just for warmup. That new story is going to be a historical AU, where Klaus is mere vamp and he reunites his supposed fiancée Caroline, who somehow became a geisha in a Japanese brothel, in the 18****th**** century Japan. I've just started and if you would, please check it out when I upload it. Gimme some advice with the smut (which will come in the end of the story) so I can adjust what you're going to read in ****_Beauty_****.**

**Finally, thanks to my dearest reviewers: ****_Christiecap, goldenhummingbird, Chelseab95, au courant, jordanbear, secile, chillwithJyl, Eneilson, Mystery Girl3, Mimpy, Levenia and Guests._**

**Your reviews are what motivates me to keep writing, so feed me more fuel please!**

**Oops lengthy AN again, let's just call it the end with the preview here: next chapter, the anticipated field trip. And where are they going? Ooooh what's the fun if I tell you now? But I can always give you a hint: ****_The Theory of Everything_****.**


	17. Euthyphro Dilemma, the torn heart

**Wow it's been ages since last chapter guys!**

**Aaaand before we start this chapter I would like to express my gratitude for the 2015 Klaroline Awards nomination : ****_And Beauty Remains_**** as a candidate of ****_Best Debut Fiction._**** Wheeeee! I don't know who nominated _Beauty_ and you awesome, supportive readers have no idea how the nomination lit up my miserable mood. I was at the airport, waiting for the third delayed flight after the previous two (such a tough day), then I opened my inbox and the notification blew my mind, no kidding. I feel so flattered and encouraged that I sat down and typed this chapter and updated once I returned from the family trip.**

**You guys really need to go check out the awards- it's until 4****th**** August – not because I want you to vote for me, but because by browsing the candidate list, I myself have already found many intriguing stories I didn't know about! You might come across something tasty there too:)**

**Now I wish you happy reading and I'm off for some sleep-slash-jetlag-cure, enjoy!**

* * *

_Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?_

Caroline had once read about the _Euthyphro dilemma_ in her required philosophy course, and now she found her recent situation ironically similar to the philosophic riddle. Not because she herself could neither figure the dilemma nor her love life out – which was true as well- but because other similarities between these two tangled puzzles are literally driving her crazy.

Back in the ancient Greek period, in one of those exotic, sunny city-states, Euthyphro, a friend of Socrates', once confused himself with the nature of piety. If being pious is only good because the gods said so, then perhaps one day theft itself can be qualified as charity, as long as the gods consider it good? On the other hand, if the gods acknowledged the righteousness of being pious, then the supposed almighty gods must have referred to some independent moral principle. In that case, are the gods still the omniscient, omnipotent beings people thought they are?

So, do people frown upon the idea of a student having feelings for his/her teacher just because that's what people do, or are such feelings wrong by its essence? Caroline thought to herself as she stepped out of the Tube train.

April Young's tragedy was very different from Caroline's story. That, as an independent young adult who was her own person, Caroline was well aware of. And to be honest, she shared little worries when it comes to Elena's history-is-prone-to-repeat-itself theory. Then why does she still regard Klaus and her blooming relationship as a can of warms that she should really stop touching?

_Do I think it improper because it is, or because people- Elena included- think it is? _Caroline couldn't help but ask herself, even when the same question had already haunted her multiple nights. The answer was like the pea under numerous mattresses, as the princess Caroline believed herself was since the date of her birth, she could feel it constantly tickling her nerves but was unable to precisely pinpoint. She blamed it for her dark circles.

Massaging her temples, she took footage on the escalator. It seemed a little funny that when she first landed in London, it was moving so fast that she almost couldn't stay balanced on it without holding tight to the handle. Mere months later, she was firmly standing on the stair with her eyes closed, hands not bracing anything. She could even know when the escalating came to its end by heart now.

As her eyes opened and light and colors rushed in, the silhouette of a masculine figure came into sight. Back facing her, he was leaning on the brick wall of the train-slash-underground station, dark-grey leather jacket, black jeans and boots painting a perfect combination of gloomy late autumn colors.

The closer she approached, the clearer she could make out the ways his muscle flexed under his clothes when he looked up at the time table or when he switched weight between those long legs. His sandy-blond hair seemed a shade darker under the overcast, faint daylight the station skylight let in, and Caroline had to bite her own lip to prevent herself from making any noise just imagining how good it would feel if only she could weave her fingers through those curls and have him comb through hers right then and there.

_How, how could being attracted to this beautiful man be wrong?_

She cleared her throat to gain his attention, "hey, you."

Caroline was secretly waiting for someone to play some romantic music in the background to be honest, since when Klaus turned to face her it was like a slow motion movie scene that she used to laugh at back in Mystic Falls, on her sofa finishing up another pint of Ben and Jerry's. Even the way his lips tugged and crack into a teeth bearing grin seemed to slow down in her sick mind. This is pathetic, pathetically _good_.

"Hey, you." Klaus echoed as he reached out an arm to draw her closer for a peck on the cheek, "have you breakfasted? We still have time before the train leaves if you need to grab anything."

She smiled at his consideration, "I'm good, thanks."

"Then we're good to go," he announced, the hand that was lingering on her left shoulder moved naturally to the right and wrapped her to his side as they started walking.

"Wait, where's Henrik? Wasn't he the one who invited me to this field trip?" Caroline asked, stopping to check around, in search of the little figure.

"Oh, look at me," Klaus chuckled, "Henrik caught a cold and have been suffering for fever since last night. I forgot to tell you he can't make it."

Upon hearing the bad news, Caroline grabbed Klaus' arm without even noticing, pure worry written on her delicate face, "how is he now? You know you don't have to come if you're needed at home, you should have just give me a call, or even a text… no, you should go directly back to your brother now. This field trip can wait until another day."

Klaus seemed taken aback for a few seconds before smile crawled its way back to his features again, "easy, easy, love. Now I don't mean to sound like a cold-blooded man who doesn't care for his baby brother's health at all, but honestly, Henrik is being taken good care of. Kol is now attending to him, and in case you feel the least bit of insecurity we all do when leaving Henrik to that brainless brag, he has Bekah's assistance, for the record. Also, our primary doctor is coming in the afternoon, so there is really no need for us to rush back."

His words calmed Caroline down a little, "if you say so. But I still don't feel good to go on this trip and have fun when Henrik is lying in his sickbed. He has been looking forward to it."

"Well I'm glad to hear my brother has a friend who worries about him to this extent, truth be told. But sweetheart, when it comes to our beloved baby brother, trust me, my family doesn't take it lightly." Klaus cooed, recalling the suspicious way Kol informed him of Henrik's illness, "and if I am able to come out, it rather means Henrik's condition is under control, or that it's not even serious enough to form a _condition_."

Or rather, there was _no_ condition at all.

"Okay…" Caroline finally agreed. The loss of his warmth demanding attention now that her worries for her young friend had faded away. She eyed his big palms longingly as he led the way to the platform without holding her close like he had done.

* * *

"We're going to Cambridge?" Caroline asked in excitement as they exited the train station at their destination.

Chuckling, Klaus gestured to the sign in front of them and handed her the return ticket, "precisely speaking, we're already there. It's a whole township. But if you're talking about the university, yes, there is still a little walking before we get there. Now, shall we?"

She hesitantly stared at his offering hand for a few seconds before finally taking it, "lead the way."

With the presence of a content smile, Klaus navigated forward. Block after block they walked with joined hands and crossed streets speechless, Klaus' random hum being the only noise between the pair.

Unfortunately, silence had been the one thing that Caroline dreaded lately, since silence equaled time to herself, time to herself stood for reflection, and reflection meant the ever vexing problems and questions and inner debates. To rid herself of the emotional eddy, she voiced her impatience, "are we there yet?"

"I take it you're one too curious to be patient, aren't you?" He turned to look at her, eyes a shine of crystal blue under the dim English daylight.

Meeting his gaze, she shifted her sight at once, only to curse herself silently afterwards for acting like a school girl when they'd sure crossed the line of being shy.

_I mean, come on, Forbes, you've kissed already, okay? Get a grip!_

She coughed and tried her best to calm down. She could handle this. A simple confusion on whether she should indulge herself into this relationshi-whatever could hardly defeat former Ms. Mystic Falls. "In case you haven't seen the headline, patience is for ordinary people, or for control freaks when things are under _their_ control. And if I may, let me remind you that this control freak in front of you has no clue about how far it is until we get to see one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, and she doesn't like not knowing what is next to expect."

If Klaus detected her nervous rambling, he didn't point out. Instead, he chose to grin like he'd found some rare gem stone and he could study its glisten in different angles, under different lightings in awe for the rest of his life, "if I may, allow me to make two points clear. First,"

He let go of her hand and tucked a strand of her stray hair behind her ear, fingers brushing her skin slightly, "of course you're not patient, according to your own description. Because you are far, far from ordinary. You're extraordinary."

Caroline tried her best to ignore how his grin grew wider when her face flushed crimson red- she wasn't sure if it was for his compliment or the shiver his fingers sent down her spine- but in vain.

"Second, we're finally here." He stated with his head tilted to a river in front of them, "You are now witnessing the famous River Cam."

* * *

"Frankly speaking, this really doesn't seem like a start of a normal university tour," Caroline said with the attempt of faking a complaining tone, but alas, her comfortable state betrayed her. Lying on a pile of puffy cushions with both her ivory arms crossed under her head and crossed legs dangling out of the edge of the punt, she sighed in satisfaction, "and I didn't see this coming. You, punting? I thought you were the pale and frail, artistic kind of guy."

"I see our football game at Hyde Park hasn't give you the lesson, huh? Please, it's the 21st century, love, artists sport. And I might have done my punting practice during my years as a student here." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, raising the thin pole to poke it deep down in the water again.

All of a sudden, Caroline sat up out of astonishment, rocking the flat boat at the same time. "You studied here?"

"Whoa, whoa, chill, sweetheart, you almost capsized us!" Klaus laughed as he resumed to his firm standing posture with the help of pole, "and yes, I got my bachelor's and master's degree here."

"No wonder you couldn't stand me when I first got in your class. Gosh, you went to this freaking elite school!" She concluded to herself and was about to lie down before she shot up in realization again, "were you going to show Henrik your school as a fieldtrip? Did I intrude? Wait, a school tour is hardly a field trip, Klaus you're such a boring big brother."

"What? Henrik has been asking if he could join school like normal kids for a while now so I figured it might be good to… hey, I don't have to explain myself to you when you were the one who couldn't stop jumping and fidgeting and aching to arrive! This is not boring," he retorted in that uncharacteristically playful tone and they started another round of their routine bicker.

As the gentle current and Klaus' punting slowly brought them to the center of the university, their verbal battle abated into casual banter. Klaus would deliver introduction now and then when they row pass colleges or sites with interesting stories, which was constantly interrupted by a pair of nagging swans that was too eager to taste Caroline's fingers and Klaus' butt.

At the end of their exploration cruise, Klaus landed swiftly and helped her off the punt just a little too courteous, one of his hand holding hers for balance while the other found its way to the small of her back and brought her close to his chest once she set foot on land.

Caroline wasn't sure if he recognized her stiffening at the proximity. She was perplexed herself. One second she was enjoying Klaus' company, and often next moment she would find that little troubling voice in the back of her mind, reminding her of Elena's warnings. With every minute she shared with him, every laugh she had with him, it became clearer and clearer that _she actually couldn't care less for Elena's advice_\- not that she wasn't grateful for a friend who was looking out for her. However, something was still stopping her from giving in to this wonderful man, to this sincere joy she felt just being beside him. And she failed to address that reason.

"Caroline, Caroline, love?" Klaus' concerned voice knocked her back to reality.

She pasted a smile and squeezed his hand, "sorry, I was a little hungry, got distracted."

"If you've been paying attention you'd know that's what I'm planning on fixing. I had a picnic arranged at Queen's college, right beside the Mathematical Bridge." He narrowed his eyes, feinting irritation, "the food might be more than abundant though, I ordered for 2 adults and one kid."

"Well don't rush to put that teacher scold on me, Mr. Mikaelson!"

* * *

Cambridge was really too breathtaking for a school with all the extensive lawns, old but tasteful premises, dreamlike water and weeping willows. Caroline's mind, unfortunately, was preoccupied with one sole thing at the moment.

"Please reassure me we're allowed to do this again," she licked her fingers self-consciously after finishing a chicken sandwich.

Klaus only shook his head in disbelief while he tended to the rest of the food, "love, how many times do I have to assure you that we're not breaking any British law just having an outdoor lunch beside a river that runs through a college, when I happened to be an alumnus?"

She sighed as she helped him put away the mess they made during their picnic. "I just feel inappropriate with all the students walking around. Are you sure we're not breaking into school properties?"

"Don't you think it's a bit late to worry about all this?" He arched a brow as well as looked at the empty paper box that used to contain substances that were now inside Caroline's stomach pointedly, "besides, I'm sure the students are rather used to this already. The university has become a freaking tourist attraction now. This place is so packed with Chinese tourists during summer that you'll forget you're in an English speaking country. Let go of your worries and enjoy the beauty of Newton's grand design. Not a single nail is used in the construction of this self-supporting wooden bridge."  
"I thought you were the Bridge-of-Sighs kind of guy, you know, classic and posh and fancy," she teased while admiring the simple structure of the Mathematical Bridge.

Directing her to cross the river and back into the college building, Klaus simply shrugged, "then perhaps you just don't know me well enough."

Caroline had to try her best to constrain the urge to agree with him out loud. Because, damn, she wish she could get to know him better, knowing by saying what he just did, Klaus was offering the rare opportunity for people to take a look under his ever present, guarded façade. And while part of her was genuinely dying to take his offer, another part was reining her at the edge of the precipice, the verge of falling, the brink of indulgence.

A few steps ahead of her, Klaus took a sharp left at the narrow corridor of the ancient construction. Had Caroline been paying more attention to Klaus or her fantasy that might or might not include said man kissing her fiercely with her back pressed against that mottled old wall, she could have missed the faded metal sign that said _private_. "Klaus, I really don't think we should cross this threshold-"

But her warning was all too late. By then Klaus was already at the end of the hallway and she couldn't catch his attention without getting caught for being too loud. Ugh, she was never in control with this man. So she did what she figured was the best at the moment and followed him.

* * *

**AN/**

**Okay I know this is super short and more like a filler but I'm now dying of jetlag and although I can see at this rate this story is growing into a 30 chapters one, I'd rather stop writing here before my blurry mind makes wrong decisions again. That's what happened when I screwed up around ch10 last time, and it took me a long, long time to figure out a way to fix things and regain the confidence in writing. Also if I insisted on the length of this chapter it probably won't come out until August and that's not what we want, right? *smirk***

**From most of the reviews I got last time I can see maybe I haven't made Elena's point very clear. Sure there's a huge difference between high school &amp; university and between married &amp; single, and sure part of Elena's worries for Care is because of what people will say (even though she fully understands the differences) but that isn't all. What Elena is dwelling on is the betrayal she feels for April - her supposed lover was such a coward that he could deny their love and relationship just because she asked him in front of his family.(Or maybe he just didn't love her at all?) Marriage is sacred and family is above all but if he had the guts for deviation than he should at least have the balls to admit it and find a way to make amends rather than slapping the lovesick teenager right in the face. With that experience Elena was skeptical about teacher-student romance and she thinks Klaus is just going to do exactly the same thing- disclaim his relationship with Caroline- if they got caught and others were putting pressure on them (from the reviews I get at the beginning of this story, I guess teacher-student romance in college isn't illegal but still frowned upon), which is a reasonable theory considering the professor position Klaus is competing for and, unlike us, the characters, including Klaus and Caroline themselves (they've just started dating in this story), don't know Klaroline is each other's soulmate and their love dies hard. Elena's words have a certain effect on Caroline's faith in her and Klaus' future and she also has her own worries, which we will get to see in next chapter. Just don't forget this Caroline we're talking about here is the pre-vampirism insecure Caroline. **

**To answer a question I got last time, since in this story the Salvatores are Caroline's friends back in MF and Elena and her late bestie April are New Yorkers, the jerk Italian teacher isn't Damon. Frankly speaking, I was fighting a strong urge to picture him as Alaric, who will not take part in this story unfortunately. But in the end I just couldn't bear the idea of Alaric being a douchebag and he is definitely not Italian (according to himself when he made his debut in TVD, Alaric is a German name and probably so were his ancestors), so let's just let that abomination rot in hell as a nameless character. Oh, and no, Damon and Care don't have any sort of history in this story, don't worry.**

**That was long, I hope I've cleared your confusion, and please don't forget to review!**

**Preview: Caroline decides whether to take Klaus' hand or not.**

**PS. There might be some mistakes in my descriptions of Cambridge since I only visited there for half a day as a tourist. And yes, the Mathematical Bridge is not designed by Newton. That's just a myth people like me like to use.**

**-A**


	18. Commitment, the wish beyond reach

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've been sick for the past few weeks. And it's been long enough since you last saw Klaroline in my story, so let's shut everything else up and let you enjoy the reading.**

**Just keep in mind that I haven't got time to run through and check the chapter yet, I just want to post it before I go to bed. There might be several mistakes though, I'll correct them tomorrow.**

* * *

At the end of the long hallway was a fork, and Caroline followed suit as Klaus turned left even though she hardly believe he knew where he was going.

When he finally took a halt, it was so sudden that, following so close behind him, Caroline failed to stop herself in time and bumped into his rock-hard back.

She liked his musky smell.

But it was what came into sight that took Caroline's breath away when she lifted her head.

It seemed like they had ran into a wedding. Caroline could tell the attendants were college friends, or even classmates from this college. The folks, no more than 10 people, looked a little old for average graduates, so she guessed they came back for the wedding on purpose. The bridesmaids in light lilac dresses were chatting actively with each other and the best man and groomsmen. The bride, however, seemed rather relaxed and quiet with a flute of champagne in her hand, soaked in the happy and cozy bubbles while her husband-to-be held her other hand. Then all of a sudden, the small crowd burst out into laughter and made way for a tiny figure like the sea once did for Moses.

It was a bit shocking for Caroline to see how natural the bride handed her drink to her groom and lifted up the tiny flower girl. The following kiss exchanged between the family was done smoothly within a few seconds as if it has been executed for years, despite the child's apparent young age.

"This happens a lot, you know. People meet in school, fall in love, get tangled between school work and children, finish their studies first then come back to where everything started to tie and celebrate the knot." Klaus explained casually, hands in his pocket.

It hurts a little when the ring on the bride's finger glittered. She grimaced, albeit calmly, "yeah, happens a lot in the States too. It just doesn't happen to you."

Silence took over between the couple for a few seconds before her words sank in.

"What's wrong, Caroline?" Klaus asked carefully, and if Caroline hadn't chose to turn her back on him and walk away, she'd locate the sincere concern in his ocean-blue eyes.

He strode as well, trying to catch up with her, "Caroline, what's wrong? Tell me what happened."

"Nothing!" Caroline's voice pitched while she waved him off, her pace never slowing down.

Klaus held out his hand again, trying to stop her furious march. "Don't try to fool me, Caroline. I know something's wrong, or you- as bubbly as you are- wouldn't have said what you just did. Did I do anything wrong? I thought we were having fun, but suddenly you just-"

This time Caroline ignored it all, his question, his friendly stopping gesture and him.

Klaus sighed and grabbed her shoulders, his grasp gentle but unbreakable.

Caroline sighed back, whipping her face to his opposite direction.

They remained speechless, Klaus trying his best to figure out what went wrong and what to say while Caroline just looked away at the glistening water and dancing trees, only realizing they had already make it to the riverside.

You might feel confused right now, but oh no, Caroline wasn't the kind of girl who got upset so easily just because she saw someone else's wedding and their happy-ever-after ending. What really triggered her vexation was the meaning behind the ring, what Klaus and her could never have.

In Greek mythology, after Prometheus presented mankind the forbidden fire, the Olympic gods punished the Titan thief by chaining him to a gigantic rock on the summit of Mount Kazbek and assigned an eagle to peck and consume his organs daily. Being immortal, Prometheus got burned by the glaring sun, drenched by the pouring rain, frozen by the storming snow and tortured by the eagle day after day, only to heal and regenerate at night during the eternal punishment and was later freed by the Greek hero Heracles. Zeus couldn't let Prometheus go and nor could he let his godly son down, so the king of the gods decided to carve the rock Prometheus was tied to into a ring as symbolic substitution of the penalty and commanded the criminal never to take it off.

Ever since then rings were a symbol of commitment and in time "commitment" extended into the commitment of love, engagement and marriage, although some might find the connection between punishment and marriage ironic.

Don't get Caroline wrong, what she cared about wasn't engagement, let alone marriage. She hadn't thought that far, and even if she had, she wouldn't tie the rest of her life to a man who couldn't love. No matter how hard she wanted to.

Yes, what she was concerned of was sheer commitment.

She thought of what Stefan had told her.

_This was destined to be a fling, a winter fling from the very beginning._

_You like him, but you don't __**love**__ him, right?_

She didn't love him now, but she was certain if she took another step closer, she would be embroiled into this whirlwind and _she would love him_. How could she not?

And it'll be all too late when she fell in love with him. How could a man that has never loved and probably never would give her any commitment? How could she have any future, any stable relationship with this man?

Her past relationships came into mind like a marquee. The short happiness, the soon-fade laughter, the fake love words, the heartache and heartbreak that almost consumed her after every end of another failed romance, another joke. She was even once convinced that as shallow and wannabe as she was, she only deserved rubbish relationships like those.

But now she believed otherwise, thanks to the man standing in front her.

"Caroline," Klaus finally broke the silence and lifted her chin with the crook of his finger. The way his fingers shook when touching her was like she was some piece of rare, fragile jewel and he was afraid that he would shatter her. "Caroline, love… what's bothering you? Your expression now, I saw it this morning when you first show up at the train station. You look….sad."

Caroline exhaled and laughed bitterly at the same time. Isn't this ironic, the man who lifted her up, the man who brought out the best of her, the man who gave her the confidence in believing that she deserves more was the very reason why she decided to push their mutual affections away.

Because she was done, done with flings and whirlwinds. Caroline Forbes is good, at least good enough for solid, long term relationships.

"If you refuse to say anything, then let me be the one to talk." Klaus cupped her face in his palms and sighed again, "Caroline, I don't know what's going on in that little hard head of yours, but I know what I've been feeling these days is mutual. I fancy you, and you like me as well."

She inhaled sharply at his straightforward confession although she shouldn't be surprised. Direct is what Klaus Mikaelson was, and confidence was his middle name.

"I'm not the best _date_ material for now considering our relationship in school, this I am well aware of." He let go of her face and took her wrists in his hands instead, bringing her knuckles to his lips.

Step by step he impended forward and she retreated, only to find her back meeting the trunk of a tree near the river. Without any more space to withdraw, Caroline closed her eyes hopelessly as he kept on closing up the distance between them.

His lips brushed pass the middle of her brows, the tip of her nose and surprisingly left her lips alone. He diverted to the side of her face instead.

"I fancy you, Caroline Forbes. The feeling I have for you is indescribable, but I want to give it a _try_," his breath while whispering to her ears tickled her earlobe, and just that sent shivers down her spine, right to the edge of her toes.

Caroline could feel that Klaus hesitated a while before he finally decided not to take a next step, maybe take her now sensitive earlobe between his luring teeth, or give her collarbone a bite or two, and she secretly thanked him for that.

As if he could read her mind, he shot her a blinding smile and asked certainly, "I'm more than willing to take the chance with you, teacher- student or not, if you would take the chance for me too. All I want is your confession, love."

Caroline shifted her sight from his glamorous eyes and blinked a few times, trying to collect herself and even her breath.

_I'm not the best __**date**__ material…_

_I want to give it a __**try**__…_

_He's just giving us a try, and he only wants to be a date_, Caroline thought to herself.

She looked up and met his beautiful blue orbs again. His smile was so close and so sure, so close that all she had to do was lean in and everything she'd been dreaming of day and night lately could come true, so sure that all she had to do was say what he was sure she would say and the daydreams that had been hunting him recently would come true.

"Klaus…" She closed her eyes. How could she tell him while looking straight into those crystal eyes? "I like you, too. Very much, I do."

What he hasn't foreseen was that he's reminded her of how strong, beautiful and full of light she was, and maybe, maybe she liked what she was more than she liked him, "but-"

Just as the _but_ aroused the ominous feeling within Klaus, a shrill ring broke the magic and he pulled back reluctantly to answer the phone, "just a minute, love. It's the family exclusive ringtone."

"Elijah, this better be important." He hissed as he picked up.

Elijah sounded unaffected by his brother's threatening tone, or rather, he was under a more serious concern that he couldn't care less of his brother's petty mood, "and it is, Niklaus. Something's wrong with the Guerreras."

Klaus groaned impatiently. What does the mother-fucking Guerreras have to do with him? They weren't worth his time and he wasn't in the mood. Nothing was more important than Caroline right now. "You mean Francesca Guerrera? I thought you said she's no longer a threat on the professor position competition."

"That was before I figured out the cause of her family's previous financial breakdown." Elijah explained in a serious tone, "Niklaus, they went bankrupt because they bought _the land_, and somehow they found a way to-"

"THE LAND?" Klaus echoed in disbelief. The university had been dying for it for campus expansion, "that's impossible, the board has been negotiating with the landlord for ages and the smart ass still wouldn't sell it-"

"Yes, the Guerreras somehow not only persuaded the owner to yield but also managed to transfer the ownership as Francesca Guerrera's personal possession." The elder Mikaelson stated flatly but only one knew him as well as his own brother does could detect how his tone was tinted with slight anxiety, "you know what this means. If Francesca Guerrera offered the grant, Marcel will be our tiniest worry when you compete for the position."

It took Klaus a few seconds to respond but he managed to speak anyway, "it would be too obvious a biased favor, Elijah, everyone knows Guerrera sucks at researching. She couldn't even pass the school evaluation last year if her family haven't got her back. She's apparently ineligible when it comes to the position of associate professor, anyone can tell that. The board wouldn't take the risk."

"I don't think the board cares that much at this stage. Campus expansion is a must and the Guerreras went bankrupt just buying the land. They need the money and crave the position. They'll sell the land at any price, and that's what the board wants." The man on the other side of the line analyzed.

Klaus ran his hand through his hair before covering his eyes with it in frustration, "fine, we can discuss this when I get home. I'm occupied with something urgent now-"

But when he turned around, Caroline was nowhere to be found. She was already gone.

"Damn it!" Klaus cursed with his phone still in his hand.

It was her silent rejection.

_I like you, too. Very much, I do_…. But somehow she said no.

"Niklaus, Niklaus? Are you still on the phone? It would be best if you come home immediately…"

* * *

Snow came early and hard in England this year.

It was only mid-November and they'd already got 5 separate days off.

Caroline didn't know if the weather itself was pitying her but she appreciated the proper excuse it provided her to escape Klaus' class, twice.

She hadn't figure out how to face Klaus and his questions yet.

It had been 2 weeks since he asked her to be with him at Cambridge. He'd called and texted her numerous times, but she answered none.

She was pretty sure he understood what her unannounced departure at their field trip meant but of course he would want explanations, especially after she confessed her feelings for him. But she had no idea what to say.

What she did know was although she tried her best to act normal, Elena had also been trying hard to cheer her up. She wouldn't let Caroline have her own time as long as she was free, despite her own tight schedule due to the dance club's Christmas performance. She forced Caroline out to dinners with other exchange students, she poured her glass after glass of alcohol at their favorite bar, she asked Caroline for academic help even though the two of them shared none same courses. And when she wasn't available, she asked Bonnie to take her job. It seemed like Elena had taken on 'not sparing Caroline a single second to grieve' as her task as if she felt sorry, or even guilty, for making her roommate make the supposed _right _decision.

What she wasn't aware of was Caroline couldn't have cared less about her advice. The blonde turned her lecturer down not because Elena suggested she should, not because he was her teacher.

She did it for herself. And she can take it.

She had to take it, it was her own decision.

Caroline took in a deep breath, and stepped in the art studio for the first time after she last met the teacher.

"Care! Come here, we left a seat for you!" Bonnie, who was sitting among a group of classmates, waved at her cheerfully.

Caroline smiled and took the seat. It was sweet of Bonnie to save her the corner seat where making eye contact with the lecturer would be the hardest.

"Thanks, Bon. So what were we talking about?" She put on her best Miss Mystic grin as she looked around at her excited classmates.

"Jesse here just asked the whole class to his home party tonight. Wanna join?" Bonnie gestured at the dark, lean boy sitting in front of her.

As soon as Caroline turned to look at him, the boy stuck out his hand politely and greeted her with a warm smile, "that would be me. Caroline, right? I believe this is our first time to speak to each other but you were impressive during past classes."

Caroline's eyes shifted just thinking of how hard she had tried to impress Klaus, and it hurts even more as she realized she no longer needed to do so. Not anymore.

"My place is around Knightsbridge, I just texted Bonnie the address. It would be great if you can make it tonight. I also invited many other exchange students and students from other departments, it's gonna be fun." Jesse encouraged, his dark eyes locked firmly with Caroline's blue ones.

"You really should join us," a red-headed girl with European accent petted on Caroline's shoulder, "Jesse's house is huge, and luxurious. You don't get invited to party in castles like that in one of the poshest neighborhoods in London every day."

Caroline looked at the girl's freckled, glowing face, then Jesse's charming white teeth, then Bonnie's expecting smile. It was a pity that she had been trying so hard in class that she neglected how warm and open-hearted her classmates were, and she even forgot that mingling with foreigners were one of the best enjoyments of an exchange students.

Just as she was about to nod to her classmates' passionate invitation, Klaus strode in, followed with the chime of the school bell.

Her heart twitched upon seeing his figure, and her hand flew to her chest to sooth the spreading pain but in vain. She managed to fake a smile at Jesse, "sure, I'll be there."

* * *

Klaus felt relieved when he checked his watch mere 5 minutes before the class of the day ended. He wasn't sure if his inhibitions could hold any longer. It had always been hard not to stare at his attractive blonde student but it was even more difficult after her rejection and her not picking up the phone. He was lucky none of his students noticed the peeks he flashed at Caroline every now and then.

_Why was she talking to the boy in front of her? She never approached any of her classmates except Bonnie. How come she promised him 'she'll be there'? Did the boy ask her out? Why didn't she reply to any of his texts, or calls? Was she stilled upset? Why was she upset in the first place? She hadn't told him that day. How come she left without saying goodbye then? It wasn't like her._

Countless questions came to mind when Klaus stole glimpses of her. And most important of all, _if she liked him like she claimed to be, why reject him?_

"Okay class, as you might have noticed, we lost 6 hours of class due to the snow last week and the week before that, and we might not be able to finish everyone's presentation in the remaining weeks." Klaus announced on autopilot mode, all he could think about was how bad he wanted the class to be over so he could get the answers, "I've checked the name list, we've only got two exchange students in class this year, which means most of you will still be here next semester, so it should be fine if we leave some of the presentations to next semester… As for the exchange students, Miss Bennet, you will be leaving us after this semester, if my memory functions?"

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson." Bonnie secretly squeezed Caroline's hand, noticing her friend's fidget when Klaus paid their direction attetion.

Klaus nodded, not looking at the blonde girl beside Bonnie, "Will it be okay if you present at the last week of the semester?"

"No problem."

The lecturer nodded again, taking notes of the date. And when he lifted his head again, he was looking at _her_. "Miss Forbes?"

"Yes?" Her voice was angelic as usual, albeit a little pitched with hesitation and nervousness.

"I believe your stay with us has extended, is that correct?"

The dark boy in front of her seemed not only surprised but also pleased by the news and he turned to give Caroline a hi-five as a congratulation.

Only Caroline was too stiff to accept it. She smiled at the boy awkwardly before she continued, "uh, technically yes. I-I'm still going through the whole procedure, but…"

"Good, then it shall be okay for you to present next semester." Klaus concluded without asking her like he did with Bonnie, not giving her the chance to not take this course next semester. Satisfied, he cleared his throat and declared, "if none of you have further questions then you're all free to leave."

The room was lit up with chats and noises of chair-floor scratching once Klaus dismissed the class, the students discussing what to wear and what food to bring to Jesse's party tonight.

Klaus could tell Caroline let out the breath she was holding when he walked towards the door, but oh, he wasn't going to let her go that easily. If Klaus Mikaelson wanted answers, they present themselves to him. And if they didn't, he dug them out himself. He grinned and pretended what he was about to say had just occurred to him, "Oh and Miss Forbes? Please come to my office. I have something to ask you."

* * *

**Hey guys, I know, short chapter and cliffhanger.**

**Did you enjoy the story? Sorry it took so long but I guess the sexual tension makes up a little?**

**So in this chapter we found out what Care was really worried about. What do you say? Tell me how you feel by reviewing!**

**I'm planning on finishing this story in early December and if everything goes as planned, there are probably 10 more chapters, maybe a few chapters less or more, to go. Yup, so it seems like it's quite tight a schedule, but I'm really really really looking forward to write my next full-length Klaroline story so yeah I'll try my best to speed up on updating. And I shall update ****_Sunset_**** very soon.**

**I realized I forgot to express my gratitude to those who reviewed chapter 14, please allow me to thank them here: ****_xxKlarolineLoverxx, MJTE, Mystery Girl3, Chelseab95, chillwithJyl, Mimpy, Eneilson, Sin Swan, MsCindz and Guests._**

**And a huge hug to the reviewers of last chapter: ****_chillwithJyl, Chelseab95, jodileighcullen, gooddame and Guest._**

**Thank you all, your reviews fuel my inspiration and writing and typing.**

**Next chapter: Caroline confronts Klaus, Stefan arrives in London.**

**Please review!**

**-A**


	19. Murphay's Law, the wonderers' defense

**You'll have to excuse me if there were any mistakes. I'm rushing to post this before i go to bed so I didn't have time to go through it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Klaus waited in his office with his back turned towards the door.

Within just a few minutes, two silent knocks were heard and he held back the smile that threatened to take over his face as he felt how de ja vu this was, "come in, please."

"Umm… Mr. Mikaelson, what was it you want to ask me?" Caroline probed with her voice like a stretched thin thread.

Where she stood was mere steps from the door that was left unclosed purposely, Klaus realized. And she called him _Mr. Mikaelson_. His self-esteem cringed a little at the discovery.

But he didn't show it. "Will you close the door please, Miss Forbes?"

She didn't move. Neither did she say a word.

He sighed and finally decided that it was no use to keep beating the bushes. So he strode forward, shut the door and trapped her between himself and the bookshelf in one swift move, "how come you left without saying goodbye last time?"

Feeling smothered by his intense and close stare, Caroline looked away like she'd done in Cambridge without even noticing. Still, she was speechless.

"Fine, if this game is what you want to play, then game shall it be," Klaus rested his forehead on the laminate of the bookshelf as the frustrated words flew out of his clenched teeth, "if you won't answer this question then we might as well move on to the next one. What was it you were going to tell me before Elijah interrupted then?"

Finally he provoked an act out of her, but all she did was shake her head.

He frowned at her gesture, feeling tired kept reading her ambiguous deeds without really fully understanding them, "what is that supposed to mean, huh? Is it a no, a rejection, or do you simply don't want to talk about it? Caroline, if you don't tell me I'll never know."

It took her a while to part those pink lips that had been haunting his dreams ever since their first kiss, "I thought you know."

"Ugh, how would I know?" He threw his head backwards and slapped his palm on his forehead, "Caroline, was that a rejection?"

There was that silence again, and when he moved his hand away from his eyes, all he saw was a blonde girl staring awkwardly at the floor.

He wondered how they became like this, how things went wrong. He missed the girl that would answer his questions animatedly in class, the girl that texted him back sooner than he imagined, the girl that looked at him with smiling eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Caroline, I'm starting to feel bored of this routine. In case you haven't notice, I'm not known for my patience. You said you like me as well but you left like that and you stopped answering my calls and texts." Klaus took a few steps backwards, giving her the space she needed.

He saw her fingers playing nervously with the hem of her top as he spoke and his heart died a little inside. Her whole picture screamed awkward. She used to ooze awkward beside him but it was never like this. The stiffness she used to have whenever they were alone was the kind when couples were dancing around each other, a good, sweet kind of stiffness. But what she was undergoing, what _he was making he_r undergoing now was a bad kind of awkwardness. "If what I asked by the river that day was anything that you don't want, if you want me to stop calling, texting and bothering you, then all you have to do is speak. I'm better than pestering a girl who's not interested."

A glimpse from the past flashed through his mind and he was reminded of when his parents had spun off the spiral. There were times, according to Elijah, way before he was born, when Mikael and Esther loved each other like those perfect couples people saw on TV. There were times, if his memories served him right, when they'd lived peacefully and even happily with each other, before the cats were out of the bag. Then one day, after _that day_, Mother never spoke to Father anymore and all was gone except awkward and distance and even hatred between them.

Klaus was torn deep down in his heart. He didn't want them to end like his parents, not Caroline, but his anger towards the girl was raging under his skin, and his control over it was slipping away.

On the other hand, so unlike his boiling wrath under the surface, she remained silent and flat and empty right there in front of him. She wasn't the girl that shone for him, not anymore.

"Answer me!" He shouted out before he could even stop himself.  
Caroline jumped at his sudden rise of volume and somehow it seemed the fright had flipped the switch in her. Her whole mood changed, her brows furrowed within seconds, her dodging eyes were fueled with fury and her spine straightened.

Klaus felt a bit masochist –well, not in a sexual way- that moment when he thought "yeah, I knew this part of her. I knew the fighter in her gets irritated easily" to himself and somehow felt a hint of joy secretly.

"Don't you yell to me like that," Caroline shot back in a serious warning tone, "if you were able to take a hint then we'd all be saved from this misery we're having here."

Though pleased to see the fire in Caroline again, having also an alpha male in him, Klaus couldn't help but resume the incited mood, "I'm sorry, so now I'm the one unable to behave socially appropriate?"

"Of course," Caroline replied without a second thought, her controlling tendency taking over in search of dominance in the conversation, "I thought I made my point quite clear when I left that day. You guessed it yourself, so why can't you just let this hot mess go and leave us be? Do you really have to exploit that teacher authority of yours to force this talk? Is this really necessary?"

"Oh, pray tell, what have I guessed exactly? It's a tad strange that you seemed to notice something that I happened to slip with, so why don't you say it out loud yourself instead of keeping dodging the problem? That way I wouldn't have to apply any authority abuse, according to you."

Having being enduring whatever interrogation and emotion Klaus had for her during the past few minutes and have only snapped a few seconds ago, Caroline decided that this wasn't going to keep going on. Not like this. "You said it yourself, you knew it."

This time, it was Klaus who was being silent, leaning against the wall with furrowed brows and crossed arms.

Caroline sighed. He had to push all her buttons and oblige those words that might not only hurt herself but also him out of her own lips. She swallowed and tried to talk as calmly and flatly as possible, "I do have feelings for you, but this- whatever this is between us- is not going to work."

"So it really was a silent rejection, huh?" One brow arching, Klaus smirked as he heckled, tone dripping sarcasm, "I suppose I wouldn't have the honor to dig any further explanations out from you, is that correct?"

And it hurts, it really did, for Caroline to see him acting like this. She knew the reason why he had gone back to wearing the douche tyrant facade was because she had hurt him in the first place. It was due to the life he had gone through that he would leap into defense mechanism and build up a towering wall that push everyone away whenever his heart sensed threat. And once he was almost able to discard all those pretense for her. Almost. The guilt brought by the whole recognition of his mental state stabbed but how could she clarify this for him? He wouldn't understand her concerns.

Caroline's mind was speeding a mile a minute when a light knock demanded their attention. And in that moment, every single ounce of their vexation, hurt, desire to win over each other and whatever other emotions they were having were washed away by a jolt of pure fear like the deers in the headlights they were. _Did anyone heard them accidentally?_

Recovering from the astonishment first, Klaus cleared his throat and decided that it was better if they face the situation and saw if they could probe how much the person had heard. It could be a gigantic scandal if they were caught, not that they'd done anything, yet. Still, it wouldn't look good for both him and his student. He'd said he would take chances to be with Caroline, but taking risks didn't contrast with keeping the key low. "Yes?"

They were both relieved when it was Bonnie's voice that came through the door, "it's Bennett, Mr. Mikaelson. I was wondering if Caroline is still here with you? She's needed for the second."

As bright as Klaus was, it was impossible for him to not put two and two together to know that Caroline had probably informed Bonnie of what was going on between them and it was also impossible for him to not read through the lines and tell that it was simply a pretext Caroline's friend came up with to help her out. However, his position as their lecturer didn't allow him much. He couldn't keep the door shut forever and nor could he keep the blonde here too long. So instead, he replied albeit reluctantly, "we're still having the conversation about Miss Forbes's presentation. I'm afraid we're not finished yet-"

"We're almost done, Bon! Can you please wait for me down the stairs? I'll be there in a minute." Caroline cut in determinedly before Klaus could finish his sentence and once she heard Bonnie's footsteps fade, she retreated slowly but firmly towards the door while looking at the man in front of her straight in his eyes.

"This," she shot him a sad smile, referring to the panic they'd just underwent, "is my reason. You told me that you're willing to take chances despite our teacher-student relationship, but- call me coward- maybe I'm just not as brave and reckless as you are."

Once again, she saw the waves of shock and hurt in Klaus' ocean blue eyes. She knew she was choosing the easier but unfair path and she wasn't telling the truth- he wouldn't understand even if she told him her difficulties, her insecurity- and how the lame substitute excuse she blurted out had destroyed his dignity. When someone as proud as Klaus humbled himself and said he was willing to risk his career and probably even his and his family's name for you, you don't chicken out. Yet she had no idea what else she could say that was storing enough to cut the entangled strings that had tied their hearts together. She had to tough up and be the bad guy.

"Thank you for consulting me, _Mr. Mikaelson._" Caroline nodded and rushed out of the room after stressing his title, not sparing herself any time to take a look at Klaus' expression. If she did, she wouldn't be able to find the heart to walk away.

* * *

Time had been flying since Klaus last saw the blonde belle that had occupied his mind and it was soon Monday, the day he would have to meet her in class, again.

During the past week, Klaus had felt torn. Torn between the constantly screaming urge to see and talk to her and the little dignity that was still left with him that stopped him from going over to her whenever he spotted her on campus. And for that, Murphy's Law was to blame.

Back when their feelings were still ambiguous and they were indeed mere teacher and student, he never managed to see her within the fences that encircled the university even if he'd tried. However, the universe, being its bitchy self, tended to make anything that could go wrong worse than wrong. Recently, he found it too much of a coincidence that he happened to run into Caroline's way too frequently, although their sight never actually met and they never actually talked. There was a great chance his beautiful student didn't even know that he had saw her over 10 times in the last 7 days in school.

Just as she was now, completely unaware of his presence behind her. Or rather, them.

"So how was the party last Monday? The one at Jesse's?" Walking beside Caroline, the ginger haired girl inquired. Klaus had never saw her with Caroline but from her accent he was sure she wasn't British. She must be a new exchange friend Caroline'd made in the past few days. Sometimes Caroline's radiant character just surprised him so much when it came to how easy it was for her to have others like her, love her even. But then again, if someone as proud and stubborn as he was had come to fancy her so deeply, maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise after all.

It took Caroline a few contemplating minutes before she shrugged, "It was okay. I met a lot of people, some became friends and aside from that it was just as any other party could be. Why, weren't you there? I thought Jesse invited every exchange student."

"He did, but I wasn't available that evening, so…" The girl with accent explained as she shifted the heavy books in her hand to the other and simultaneously changed the topic, "that was not the point. I heard Jesse only invited all of the foreign students so that it would be easier for him to get to a particular one. Have you any idea who she is?"

Klaus figured out what the girl was implying the instant he saw her wiggle her brows. That was what he'd been worried for since last Monday when he, a man almost going on his thirties, shouldn't be fussing with a boy that was 6 years or more younger than him.

"Nope, who?" Caroline replied, popping the p as well as leaning her head slightly towards her companion's direction as if she was intrigued.

Her ignorant act set Klaus' mind at ease. If she hadn't detected the boy's intention, it was very possible that A) said boy hadn't made any move that was worth worrying for or B) she didn't reciprocate his feeling or C) all of above.

It would be the best and also Klaus' wish if the situation was indeed C but Klaus knew better than to get his hope up. Damn Murphy's Law, damn the stupid universe. So he kept on eavesdropping.

Caroline's new friend rolled her eyes, "can you really not feel it, silly? He's so obviously into you!"

"You're making unrealistic assumptions, Nadya." Caroline laughed under her breath, the box that was carrying her paraphernalia cackled as its contents crowded against each other when her whole body shook for the giggle, "we've been in the same course for almost an entire semester now, if he really liked me as much as you and your rumors presume, he should have made the act much earlier. Maybe the party was just a friendly gesture, or maybe he simply did it for someone else."

The girl named Nadya growled at Caroline's denial, "it's not an assumption, Caroline, it's the truth! We all saw how he was looking at you at the bar last night. He was clearly attracted to you and if only you let it happen, you two could have chemistry. Maybe you were just concentrating too much on something else that you never noticed his attention for you?"

"Nadya, please, I really have no interest talking about this, can we…"

Caroline's soft plea faded in the background as the girls took a left and Klaus remained still at the corner of the forked brick pavement, suffering the bitterness of the reminder about how much he used to have, how much passion and attention his dazzling love used to pay him.

But now there was none, all gone. And according to her, it was because of what he was, what he did.

He had her fall for him by teaching her art, yet she rejected him for teaching art.

Klaus sighed.

* * *

Klaus didn't know how long he had been standing there beside the art building. He was only knocked out of his thoughts due to the heavy clap on his shoulder, "meditating, huh?"

"Marcel, mate," Klaus smiled back at his old friend, "what brings you here?"

"Can't I come to my old master-slash-pal simply because I wanted a reunion?" furrowing his brows, Marcel faked his irritation.

Shooting his trademark smirk, Klaus leaned on the mottled wall with his arms crossed, "considering our antagonistic situation and the bomb the Guerreras had thrown on us? No, I don't think a friendly talk is something that's possible now."

"Yeah the Guerrera bombshell is a piece of work. But it'll eventually be fixed, either by you, or by me." Marcel grinned with genuine confidence. "Anyways, it might not make sense but I was never one to follow the predictable rules."

Klaus cocked his brow as he took the piece of paper from the dark man's offering hand, "you're here to give me a ticket?"

"A ticket to a history-themed play," Marcel stressed, "you know me, I'm a man of modern art and innovations while you, art history expert, are a history freak, so it does make sense that the first name to come into my mind was yours when a friend presented these tickets to me."

Without speaking a word, Klaus just stared at his once apprentice suspiciously, which made Marcel's hands shot up in the air in clarification, "hey, I promise there's no catch here. I gave the rest of the tickets to my assistance. Listen, I'm not going to use them anyway, so if you don't accept it it's just going to end in the recycling bin."

"Fine. Cheers then." After a long ponder, Klaus finally tucked the ticket into his chest pocket.

Klaus Mikaelson was not one of those guys who kept pining over a left girl and he would make sure he no longer acted like one of them. Whatever the reason of Caroline's rejection was, a no was a no and he had to let go.

A historical play as a distraction wouldn't hurt.

At least that was what he believed by then.

* * *

It wasn't long before snowflakes started flying in England due to the uncharacteristically, exceedingly cold weather that year, and so had time. Soon it had come to the border between November and December, and Stefan was expected in London.

Caroline had been excitedly googling for nice restaurants and tourist attractions since she got her best friend's confirm mail about his landing time. And now that the day had finally arrived, she was standing in the middle of the crowd at the hall of Heathrow, a cardboard in hands with his name on it like those in movies.

She soon spotted Stefan's ever melancholic green eyes among his fellow travelers and was even faster to spring herself into his friendly embrace when he spotted her as well, "God I've missed you!"

"And I've missed you too." Stefan chuckled, giving her back a buddy pat, "I thought they say the food here in England is horrible? I see you've gained weight."

"Don't rush being an arse, Stef. You've just seen me for like," Caroline looked at her imaginary watch on her wrist dramatically, "5 seconds."

They kept on bickering until they finally managed to squeeze themselves and Stefan's luggage in the Tube. From their childish way of information exchange she had learned that everyone else in Mystic Falls was fine, including her mom, and that Damon had stubbornly refused to travel across the pond with the holiday flight jam hustling. It was during their verbal fight that Caroline suddenly felt the sense of nostalgia. No matter how far her life had gone spinning down the spiral, Stefan was the one element that remained still and intact, like a stable stone that helped lost hunters find their way back home in repeating forests.

She hadn't experienced the normality, the sense of stableness for a long time, as long as she'd stepped off of America. She wondered what had gone wrong in her life.

They first alighted near the hostel Caroline had booked for Stefan's stay in London to leave his stuff there. She could tell there was something lingering upon her life-long friend's lips, threatening to pour out. However, Stefan being the nice and gentle Stefan, managed to swallow the queries.

Well, only until they'd finally set foot in Caroline's dorm though.

"So. How are things going with you and that Klaus guy?" Stefan asked casually as he sank into the sofa in Caroline and Elena's joined living room, trying his best to smooth the way he picked up the inevitable but in vain.

Walking over to the fridge, she grimaced while she offered him drink, "Juice? Coke? Sparkling water?"

"Water please. Thanks but don't ever think about washing down my questions or bribing me with just a bottle of liquid, Carebear," Stefan accepted the bottle, joking.

Her shoulders sagged for a second and she opened her can of soda with a wince, "do we have to fast forward to the gory details so soon?"

"You left me no choice," Stefan sipped, "your story has kept me on the edge of my couch back in the States and now I have to get my updates."

* * *

"Okay okay okay, let me get this clear," Stefan's hands waved in the air with his brows crumbling together, confused by his friend's state of love life, "so in summary, you turned that Klaus guy down by telling him you couldn't take the pressure of dating a member of the faculty on the surface while you, in fact, just realized that you didn't want a fling without commitment, out of the blue?"

"Technically yes." Caroline nodded, the can she was holding being dried an hour ago. "And he's been ignoring me like he's seeing through air in class ever since that. Last week, the week before that and the one before that… He's been avoiding me."

Stefan leaned over and left the emptied water bottle on the desk, concern written all over his face, "You do notice this is something unlike you to do?"

"Ouch, Stef, you don't have to be that mean." She pressed her palm to her chest, faking an act as if she was hurt, "I've outgrown fast food relationships, okay?"

He stretched his lean arm to rub caring circles on the side of hers friendlily, "Seriously, Care, what's wrong? There must be something else that you haven't told me. Investing yourself in worthy relationships has been what I've been telling you to do but you never gave me a shit, why do it now when the counterpart seemed like the most decent guy you've ever fallen for so far and when it's completely side-effect-less even if it was a fling?"

Caroline's sight dodged to the palm on her arm, unable to face the pair of forest-green eyes that knew her so well, "seriously, Stefan, I don't want to talk about this, or talk about him right now. Can't you just give me your blessing on me finally making a right and mature decision for the first time in my life?"

There was a long pause before Stefan exhaled and let go of her, "if you insist."

He wondered if it was really the right decision.

"Then why don't you show me some of your art works, then?" Stefan stood up, looking around the space and changing the topic, "I never thought you could draw and will never believe that you really can until I see your works in person-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the click of the front door opening paused their flowing conversation.

"Oh, you must be Stefan," Elena grinned sheepishly as she entered the room with bags containing her dance costumes in hands, mind flying back to when she accidentally informed Stefan of her thoughts for his appearance over Caroline's supposed shut skype.

"That'd be me, the one and only. And you must be Care's roommate Elena, as I recall?" Stefan shot her a smile in return a little shyly, "I hope I'm not intruding. Care and I, we're just having an reunion here… I won't stay for long."

Elena waved off Stefan's politeness and asked if they would like to have dinner with Bonnie and her tomorrow as a welcoming party for him warmly while Caroline poked her friend knowingly and grinned at her roomie cheekily at the same time. Her friends were just _cute_. They could be even cuter if one of them just stepped up and made their first move.

After Elena excused herself to change in her room and promised she would return to join them for a brief dinner, Caroline showed Stefan the way to her stack of paintings in the corner of the living room.

She hadn't touched them for a while. Some of them were works that Klaus had assigned and returned after grading, others were her private practices trying to impress her lecturer, still others were her studies under Bonnie's instructions back when she was so irritated by the Tyrant of Art that she swore she would defeat him somehow someday.

Looking at those traces of her once- or maybe not- passion, she wondered when she could get to stop being reminded of him by anything she saw.

But she managed to keep up the calm appearance, explaining to Stefan about the theme of her drawings canvas by canvas, until they came to the last one that was stuffed at the very back of the collection.

It was the first one she'd drawn after her wrist had recovered, the first one she'd drawn after being deprived the joy of drawing, the first one she'd drawn when she was finally allowed to pour her piled up impulse and urge for art again.

She fell into ultimate silence once the painting came into picture and Stefan, having not detected anything wrong, helped dug it out from the pile.

That was when Elena came out of her partition to rejoin them and stiffened as well.

It was a picture of a man, sandy blond curls and long lashes shinning under golden, leaf-shaded sunlight, wrapping something in his hands with so much care that it seemed like what he held was the most precious treasure, a priceless secret that he wished to keep away from the world's prying eyes. The man was painted in such harmonic colors and loving strokes that he seemed alive, the heaving of his breathing chest and the dance of the fair hair on his skin almost recognizable on the canvas while the rest of the picture, the background and the thing- was it a wrist?- he was holding were painted in colorless black and white.

No love letter on earth could be written in a more delicate and heart-breaking way, and just appreciating it led to Stefan's realization. He lifted his sight and shifted it between the frozen pair of girls as if he needed any further confirmation,

"this is him, isn't it? Klaus?"

* * *

**Heeeeeello guys!**

**I figured it's better if I make this chapter longer since this might be the only update in September. School started last week and 28 credits+ part-time job+ a major and a minor+ volunteer work= hot mess, unfortunately. But I shall upload another ****_Sunset_**** chapter soon, to keep up with the Klaroline week- past campaign maybe?**

**So in this chapter Care and Klaus and Stefan all had their own wonders. What do you think? Some of you were right about Care's bogus excuse about commitment, so what do you think the real reason is? Tell me your theories by reviewing!**

**Just to answer a few questions, smut is coming in 3 or 4 chapters and yes, there will be more Henroline (Henrik + Caroline haha, did I just create a ship name?) right after that. *whistles* And the Mikaelsons will appear soon, too. *whistles again***

**Thanks to those who reviewed last time, you're all my favorites XX:**

**_Kjsama, Sin Swan, chillwithJyl, LordKatelyn, Chelseab95, jodileighcullen, Maaaarianne, jordanbear, jessnicole, . , goldenhummingbird, bruna, MJTE and Guests._**

**Next chapter: Klaus finally meets Caroline out of class again… but oops there's another guy beside her.**

**Please review! You know how I like reading about your reactions to the chapters and how reviews speed up updates!**

**-A XOXO**


	20. Migdal Bavel, Languages Not Understood

**I know it's been a long time…. But before I tell you I was having some college trouble and dealing with my other stories, let me give you another bad news: I'm not sure why but I somehow gave some of the readers the wrong impression that the smut is happening in this chapter, only it's not. I'm planning for it to come in next chapter. Don't hate me for this, I'll try my best to update ASAP.**

**Now if you don't mind, enjoy and review please!**

**P.S. hint hint: keep an eye on Bonnie in this chapter.**

* * *

"Bekah, you are aware that Elijah's going to go crazy if he sees you've take it on as your duty to scatter all your clothing around the living room, aren't you?" Kol picked up a pair of crumbled lacey stockings with an amused smile.

Rebekah, who was dressed only in her pink velvet robe, huffed and rolled her eyes in the giant sofa she was sprawled on, "giving your sister a rest from your constant nagging won't hurt, Kol. Especially when she's just finished doing her exhausting musical performance."

As she kept bickering on with her twin brother, she spotted an older one passing through the hallway in the corner of her eyes, "I know you have that whiskey bottle in your hands, Nik. I want one."

"Way to whisk your brother into the middle of your twin fight hurricane, Bekah," entering the living room while trying his best to dodge Rebekah's heels, coat and dress, Klaus handed her the tumbler he was just drinking from reluctantly, securing the bottle in his arms from Kol's grasp.

After a few not-so-ladylike swigs and gulps, the sister sighed in satisfaction, "I know you love me, thank you very much. But where is 'Lijah seriously? I haven't seen him in days and he usually dashes out the minute I stepped in the house, before I even have the chance to strip."

"Busy helping Nik deal with the school rubbish I think?" Kol quipped, snatching the alcohol from the female Mikaelson's hand, "I take it you two haven't figured out a way so far?"

"He worries too much," Klaus concluded flatly while turning his back on them, returning to his studio, "I told him the Guerreras aren't that big of a problem, even with the land in their hands. Francesca Guerrara's just not qualified for the position. The board wouldn't risk the school's reputation over the ownership of a small land."

The Mikaelson twins shared a look at that.

"Is it just me, or do you also think something's off with Nik?" Kol inquired in a hushed voice.

Nodding, Rebekah stretched and stood up to collect her clothes, "he's been like that since coming back from that field trip, the one Henrik didn't even went along with."

* * *

"Stefan, you really need to tell us more about Caroline's crazy high school life, it's hilarious!" Bonnie requested as she washed down the grilled rib with some beer while Elena waved for refill.

The young Salvatore shot his life-long friend a mischievous grin, "well I wouldn't ask for that if I was you, Caroline-Candycarebear slash queen bee of Mystic high slash Miss Mystic Falls here is just a few steps from exploding of embarrassment."

"Hey!" Distracted from the pasta she was savouring, Caroline nudged him with her elbow, "it's not like I have nothing to spill about your dark pages."

Wiping his mouth, Stefan grumbled, "and it's not like anyone here besides you is interested in it, so I guess I'm rather safe."

"No, do tell. It would be fun to know about your past… when Caroline attended most of it, obviously." Breaking her silence since the very beginning of their dinner, Elena not-so-_obviously_ showed her interest in Stefan's history.

"Why don't you tell me something that I don't know about Caroline's life here instead?" Not one who enjoys attention, Stefan changed the topic smoothly, leading Bonnie into gossiping jokingly about a boy who was clearly having a crush on Caroline.

"Why are you still denying, Care? He was practically staring at you throughout the course, and it only got more intense after your visit to his home party. I'm sure even Klaus noticed it," as soon as the words flew out of her vocal cords, Bonnie regretted them. She was so thrilled by the fact that the three of them were able to let the previous fight and Caroline's melancholia go and have fun again thanks to Stefan's arrival that she had forgotten the tension between Caroline and Elena still existed. Yes, Elena had put effort in keeping Caroline company after her refusal against Klaus' romantic interest. Olive branch stretched or not, when it came to a certain lecturer there was still some extent of awkwardness between the roomies.

Kind and wide-hearted as ever, Caroline was the one who came to Bonnie's rescue and prevented the chocolate-skinned belle from crawling under the biggest rock she could live under, "I recall you're doing that presentation in his class next week, right?"

Like a drowning man, Bonnie held on to the floating wood Caroline had casted in her deep swirling water with appreciation, "yeah, I'm doing Pierre-Auguste Renoir. I just love his famous quote that was believed to be the definition of impressionism, 'pain fades and beauty remains'. Which is quite similar to yours, Renoir is a close friend to Monet and they shared similar art theories. You're doing yours next semester but I could still help before I finish the exchange and go back to the States."

Caroline shook her head, glad that they've successfully redirected the subject, "I'm doing fine. And I think I should finish this project alone, you know. Speaking of which, you mentioned you have something to give us yesterday? On the phone?"

"Right, look at me, almost forgot. This, is from my boyfriend." Bonnie fished out two show tickets from her bag, "actually he got them from his boss. We were going to this cool historical play together but something went wrong and he won't be able to make it that day. So I was thinking you and Stefan can make a better use with these than me going to the show alone. I mean, doesn't every tourist go to the Westend when they visit London?"

"Bonnie, as much as I love you, you can't keep your boyfriend in the closet forever. Set Elena and I a meeting with him already." Caroline accepted the tickets with gratitude and turned to Stefan, "what do you say? It's next Friday night. I'd be done with my finals by then, we could go and loose some steam."

Stefan shrugged, "history's never been my piece of pie but I'm in for the company."

* * *

The next few weeks were an open can of worms, finals and Christmas messing with Caroline all at the same time. She'd caught herself thanking God for making her a wide pond away from home so she needn't spend too much time on Christmas shopping, having only a few friends in London. However, finals for an exchange student was way nastier than she'd originally predicted, and with Stefan visiting, her schedule only got more cramped. Not that she was complaining.

Anyway, she'd now survived the chaos and had finally fought her way through the multiple tests and final papers. She deserved to dress up and have some long-missed fun to make up with her poor appearance during the final week. Plus, she felt a bit guilty leaving Stefan to explore the city alone for her exams, when he had traveled all the way to Britain for her.

Which explained the friendly whistle Stefan greeted her with when she showed up for their theater night. She'd curled her hair, put on some make-up and a low cut dress that showed just enough of cleavage for party but not too much for going to a play. It was always nice to have Stefan by her side when she'd put an effort in looking good. He was the perfect kind of opposite-sex-friend that complimented you right but never crossed the line. He also came in handy when she didn't want perverts near her.

"You don't look bad yourself," Caroline chirped, taking his friendly offering arm to steady herself while walking down the brick street.

Soon they entered the luxurious theater, found their seats, which were actually pretty nice, in the middle at the front rolls. Being 20 minutes earlier to the show starting time, they sat down in the still rather empty hall and waited for the rest of the seats to be filled.

"So apparently this historical play is about WWII," ever the organized planner, Caroline pulled out her pink note pad and read out the research she'd done for today's show on her phone during her underground ride here. Because God knows how she liked to be in charge and know what was coming up, "the hero of the story is a British lieutenant who was accidentally separated from his troop, and he went on a journey to go back to either his sweetheart or his commander, which was the main struggle of this play."

Stefan nodded absentmindedly while Caroline kept rambling on, gaze flying to the door every now and then, "sounds like a pretty British kind of theme. You know what, maybe I should go use the men's room before the rest of the audience arrive and crowd it. Want me to bring you anything from the snack stand on my way back?"

"Sparkling water please," Caroline flipped her hair before she added jokingly, "oh and wash your hands before you wrap your fingers around the bottle will you? And remember the straw, I don't want to ruin my lip gloss."

Stefan only chuckled, rejoicing the humor he'd grown to enjoy before he left. "Roger that, sassy."

Being left alone in her seat, Caroline fiddled with her smart phone and went into an inner debate on whether it was okay to take a selfie in the theater before the show started. She hadn't sent her mom any photos about her life in London lately, not since she went into all the Klaus drama, fearing her expression would be too telltale thus exposed her spiraling life to someone who knew her as well as her mother. The curtains were still down, meaning it should be 80% appropriate, if only the staff in sharp black dress pants and vest weren't hovering like a hawk in the background.

She looked around and seized the chance when said staff was guiding an old couple to their seats to shoot herself a picture. She smiled at the front camera, turning and sticking her torso out into the gap between her seat and the roll before hers. Like all girls, she couldn't be satisfied with the first photo she took, so she went on and took another dozen.

She could have kept shooting if she hadn't heard a sound of throat clearing from her side and realized she'd blocked someone else's way to his or her seat. Embarrassed, she looked down at her knees while she turned back and retreated to the limited seat area the ticket granted her, her cheeks flushing even redder when she realized the man she'd just blocked actually sat beside her.

When she whispered an awkward sorry, she wasn't prepared to hear that oh-so-familiar voice of euphoria that had been haunting her dreams for weeks, "no worries, love."

Whipping her head of blonde curls to her right, she was met with a slightly surprised expression that mirrored her own, "Klaus?"

"Caroline." He greeted in the firmest tone he could manage to let on with the inner turmoil in him, "I hadn't expected to see you here."

Of course he hadn't. They hadn't spoken in weeks. He even made sure not to look her in the eye in class so the nonchalant façade he wore wouldn't broke publically. If he'd known she'd be here, he wouldn't have accepted Marcel's tickets in the first place.

On the other hand, Caroline herself didn't seem any better. In fact, she seemed even more out of place having to sit for the next 3 hours beside the man she clearly desired but had forced herself to turn down, "me neither."

After an agonizing while of silence, Caroline couldn't help but give in to the need to chase away the awkwardness, even if the means was sure to generate more of it. She tried her best to come up with some pure teacher-student appropriate conversation and went with the first thing that crossed her mind, regretting it the very same instant it left her mouth, "any plans for Christmas?"

"Typical. Family dinner. Family chit chat. Sibling bicker. Convincing my baby brother to go sleep before leaving his present under the tree and eating the biscuits he leaves for Santa," Klaus answered, the thought of Henrik easing his nerves a little. He could tell the picture he painted of Henrik was doing the same trick to the girl, the edge of her lips tugging upwards. "And you?"

As she opened up with her own holiday plans, Klaus felt himself thrown back into that unfamiliar swamp of feelings and emotions. The way her babbling lips called to him like sirens singing to lost sailors; the way her tensed but animated as ever expression made him want to cradle her face in his palms and slowly guide her whole form into his arms; the envy he felt when realizing he wouldn't be involved in her holidays when he actually could if only she wasn't so stubborn to reject him; the strong urge that he had to choke down so he wouldn't impulsively ask her if she wanted to join them at the Mikaelson mansion for Christmas.

And above all, he missed her. He missed her non-stop talks, missed her glowing eyes, missed her sweet voice, missed her enchanting scent. He missed her everything.

Klaus felt so unlike himself for still wanting a woman so intensely but not only sexually being rejected weeks ago. He'd never really truly wanted a girl, never been turned down by one, let alone pining over one. However, all aside, he felt alive. As if his heart had been dead for the past 25 years of his life and it only started beating- no, pounding- in her presence.

Caroline's detailed introduction of her holiday plans were interjected by a man with forest-green eyes and chiseled jaw. He poked her with his wrist to gain her attention, and when she turned she thanked him and accepted the bottle of water he held out to her, only to return it for him to open it for her once he emptied his other hand. She grinned at him and bade a thankyou before sipping the water with a straw, her tongue darting out to capture the droplets on her lips carefully. The whole series of motions seemed so natural that it provoked a hint of raw, bitter jealousy out of Klaus' gut.

_Who's that guy? Why's Caroline seeing him? Why's she smiling that beautiful smile at him?_ Klaus was dying to know.

Now that he'd give it a deep thought, it was only possible that Caroline was accompanied by someone to a show like this. Yet he'd expected her company to be Bennett or the brunette roommate he vaguely remembered, or even that Jesse boy from class. He thought that boy was all over her? Caroline didn't seem like the kind of girl who sees two different guys at the same time. Then again, Caroline was never the predictable kind of girl, which was one of the many reasons why he adored her.

Noticing his stare, the other man motioned for Caroline to introduce them, but before she could finish her 'this is Klaus, my- uh- my-'stutter, the light dimmed and he had to shut up for the first half of the show.

* * *

The first part of the show turned out to be rather light-hearted, making the audience laugh as the lieutenant stumbled upon several different obstacles on his way home. The faux gunfight was thrilling, and the actors showed off not only their acting talent but also their gifted voices once or twice. As the plot slowly unfold, the storyline became heavier and heavier, leading the audience to gasp or wince with the hero in the face of several danger and discoveries. The play stopped at its culminating point before the intermission, and the viewers made sure the actors and actresses heard their big round of applause before they left to stretch.

Ever the theater-freak, Caroline had been too absorbed in the acting to bother herself with what she was going to do with her Klaus situation during the half-time, and it wasn't until the lights were faintly lit that it dawned on her.

To allow other viewers easier access out, the three of them awkwardly agreed to move to the front hall instead of staying in their seats.

Once they did, the horrible silence took over again, and boy could Caroline thank Stefan more for being the sociable man of the two to initially introduce himself, "Klaus, I'm Stefan, Care's friend from home."

"Ah, Stefan Salvatore I recall? Caroline's told me about you," Caroline would be lying to herself if she said she hadn't noticed how the furrows between Klaus' brows loosened upon hearing Stefan friend-zoning himself. But to pay the deserved respect Klaus had earned with his curt nod, civil hand shake and actually amicable smile towards her best friend, Caroline decided she could swallow his not-so-valid possessiveness, for now.

"All good things I hope," Stefan playfully bumped her shoulder with his before shooting Klaus a knowing grin, "and she's told me a lot about you, _Mr. Mikaelson._"

Suddenly intrigued, Klaus cocked his brows, flashed that signature dimpled smirk and managed to make Caroline feel like he was seeing through her while his polite eye contact never left Stefan's, "oh? I bet she'd complained about all the assignments and the rough start we had."

"Yeah, that and more," suggestively, Stefan performed an open-palmed shrug, a gesture that he only did while, reserved as he was, felt like he was surrounded by friends. If Caroline hadn't known better, she'd thought the guys had met each other years ago instead of just acquainting each other. Apparently they are bonding a quick friendship somehow.

The conversation flew naturally and smoothly between the new bros, which saved Caroline a big trouble from having to man-up and actually talk to her lecturer. In fact, before they all went back to their seats for the second half of the play, Caroline spent most of her time playing the silent listener in the background, nodding and humming every now and then as the boys talked about sports and traveling.

When the light dimmed again, Caroline could feel Klaus was more relaxed sitting beside her, hands casually placed on the cushioned armrest as the colorful lighting from the stage dyed his profile. So she turned back and tried to concentrate, only she couldn't.

It wasn't that she was sitting right beside the man she'd been forcing herself to push away or that his musky cologne was secretly driving her crazy- she had managed to enjoy the first half of the show. It was that as soon as the second part of the story started, the lieutenant was caught by a French farm girl whose house was hiding a German deserter. The show soon became a salad of different European languages, mixing French vocabularies in English and blending German accents in sentences as the actors and actress tried to communicate.

At first, Caroline was able to keep up with the dialogue thanks to her high school French course. However, as the conflict between the French family, German deserter and the British soldier grew more and more intense, she found herself barely able to understand the development. Face crumbling, she blamed it as an European thing, countries that spoke different languages being 2 or 3 hours train ride away rather than a wide capacity of water in between. Of course most of the British audience would be able to follow, their resume must be so much more splendid than hers just with all those different foreign language abilities.

"She said '_if you leave now we could pretend we've never seen you_,' love," just as she was so frustrated at the situation she almost gave up paying attention, Klaus' crisp British accent as well as the warm air he breathed out while translating fanned against her ear.

She had to summon every single muscle to keep herself from acting out the effect he had on her by just invading her personal space without warning. His low and husky voice at such proximity sent shivers down her spine and she had to bit the insides of her cheeks so she wouldn't moan in the middle of a high-class historical play as he kept on mumbling what the actors and actresses on the stage were talking about.

Truth be told, at this point Caroline couldn't be surprised that Klaus knew those languages and was fluent enough to interpret and keep up with the drama at the same time. She'd come to the acceptance that the tyrant of art knew and was good at everything- art, teaching, language, arguing, pushing her buttons- except interpersonal relationship. What really stunned her was that he noticed her predicament under such poor lighting, when he was supposed to focuse on the show.

Surely he was paying attention to her, like she was to his distracting, radiating body heat? Caroline was too deep in her wandering thought when Klaus muttered a relatively long sentence that she let slipped. She frowned again and instinctively leaned in to his whispering lips for a replay.

Apparently Klaus himself wasn't prepared for that- or maybe he just did it on purpose- so the sudden elimination of distance between them caused his lips to brush against her cheek. The burning texture of it made her jump and reflectively whipped her head to face him, resulting in a narrow peck on their corners of lips.

Electricity seemed to explode at the scene of déjà vu, and it was in that very moment that everything Stephen Hawking hypothesized in his black hole theory suddenly made sense to Caroline. She pulled away soon enough and pretended she was too fascinated by the show to spare Klaus another look while the truth was the nearly kiss served as a big bang that sent waves throughout her body, waking up every fiber, reminding every cell how good it was to kiss the man, to just be with him. She was now like a black hole, the opposite of the birth of the expanding universe, her insatiable need for him growing more and more out of control, always wanting more of him, losing the battle against the tiny devil- the one questioning the necessity of rejecting him, rejecting them- on her shoulder.

All the world's a stage, and the world made sure everything had its end. The play ended soon but not soon enough in Caroline's opinion. After clapping for the performers, Caroline stiffly got to her feet before the curtains barely fell. She bade Klaus a quick goodbye without checking out his reaction to her unexpected change of mood and fled the theater with Stefan's hand in hers as soon as possible.

"What's wrong?" huffing and puffing, Stefan asked when they finally came to a halt on the streets.

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut, as if doing so could somehow ease the panic that was throbbing in her bosom, "no-nothing."

"Really? You two looked quite cozy though," Stefan teased cheekily with his arms crossed behind his head.

"You saw that?" Caroline groaned, regretting her impulsive indulgence. Now Stefan would turn on Mama Bear mode and start lecturing her on proper relationships again, which was exactly the last thing a girl in romantic turmoil needed, "it's nothing. The lecturer was just being helpful to his student by translating the lines."

Humming in disbelief, Stefan ruffled her perfectly curled hair like the big brother he was to her, "yeah yeah, sure the way your eye-fucking was the exact eye communication normal students and teachers exchange. And please don't get me start with how appropriate it is for teachers to talk to their students in such intimacy."

"Shut up! It. Was. Nothing!" Caroline slapped her forehead while growling. She had no idea how long she could keep this denial going.

To Caroline's astonishment, this time, instead of giving her another instruction on her love life, all Stefan did was grimaced and patted her on the back, "if that's what you coax yourself to sleep."

* * *

**Hello, it's me. (mehahahaha quit the Adele joke already!)**

**First of all I would like to apologize for the lack of updates recently. Thanks to the reviewers who asked for an update, you really fueled the muse. A huge hug for the lovelies from last chapter: ****_goldenhummingbird, Kjsama, hufflepuff-ish, AnnaTom23, au courant, meijipucca, Chelseab95, echoX452, Once In A Dream, It'sMrsMikaelsonToYou, Amor sempiternus, klaroline1920 and Guests._**

**I used ****_Warhorse_**** as the inspiration for the play in this chapter. I couldn't remember the details of the play so I changed it a bit, but there was really once when I was in the theater and the actors just started speaking French and German and I almost fell asleep for not being able to understand. Also, I am tremendously stunned by (and a bit envy at) the number of foreign languages my European friends are able to speak. I heard in the Netherlands, students are required to take both German and French in high school, sometimes they even have compulsory third foreign language courses like Spanish or Mandarin. Wow, Dutch people must all be language geniuses.**

**Lastly, to celebrate Beauty's 100****th**** fav (which happened a month ago), I am now taking prompts for drabbles in the universe of this story! Send me what you'd like to read by reviewing or PM, and I'll post it in my Beauty drabble collection ****_Their Portraits_****. Or you could go request directly in that story's review box, either will do!**

**Preview: Christmas arrives and so does Klarosex.**

**(Before I post the smut, you still have chance to check out my first ever smut attempt in the last chapter of my other Klaroline story: ****_Sunset_****. Please give me some advice so I won't suck writing smut for ****_Beauty_****!)**

**-See you ****on the other side****, A**


	21. Isadora Duncan, restrictions broken

**Hey guys, it's been a long time. I know I haven't been the best writer, having readers hanging there all this long. I'll bore you with my excuses later, but I'd be extremely happy if anyone's still sticking around to read how Klaroline reunites.**

**Forgive me when you see mistakes in this chapter, this took me literally 12 hours to finish for my writer's mind is a bit rusted. I wanted you to see this update as soon as possible so I posted this right away without checking.**

**Oh, and, smut alert at the end of this chapter!**

* * *

Caroline spent the first few days of her winter holiday hanging out with Stefan and Bonnie. The three of them would often cook together at Bonnie's and chat over whatever was playing on TV after eating. They'd decided to make the best of each other's company since only Caroline herself would remain in London when the holiday ended. Stefan couldn't stay forever and Bonnie and Elena's 1-year exchange span had also came to their ends.

Elena would sometimes tag along and entertain herself with some not-so-secret flirtation with Stefan when she was free from her dance club practice. Elena's leading one of the dances they were about to publically perform for the university during Christmas and it had been scratching on her nerves. For that, Caroline's heart went out to her.

And when both her new friends were occupied- either by the secret boyfriend or the dance rehearsals- Caroline would go site-seeing around London with Stefan. They'd awed at numerous grand constructions and was marveled by landscapes that couldn't be found in their homeland. It wasn't until they were reviewing through the photos they'd taken that they realized the date of Stefan's departure is just down the corner, with Christmas Eve just an evening away.

"Make sure not to mess your hair like that time when we were at Windsor. You'll never get a chance with Elena if I showed her our picture that day. You were hilarious," Caroline giggled as she applied mascara in her room, chatting away while prepping herself up for Elena's performance.

Lying on the sofa of Caroline and Elena's joined living room, Stefan retorted at the open door to Caroline's partition, "it wasn't my fault England was being windy these days. A man can only stand himself in front of the mirror for so long. Speaking of, if you don't present yourself in 5 minutes, we're doomed to be late. I don't think Elena will ever forgive you on not going to her dance show on time, she's opening the performance."

He heard clicks of heels before he could even finish, and when he brought his line of sights to the source of the sound, he saw an all dolled up Caroline, curls and shimmering makeup and burgundy velvet little dress and all. "I see you've quit denying what you're having with Elena, then. I saw you two talking the other day. Cozy." She teased, thrown back to the time she ran into her two friends whispering- still dancing around each other- next to her stock of practice works and paintings.

"Actually, I've never denied anything. Just never spoken about it, trying to keep natural pace." Stefan defended while giving her a pointed look, "unlike you."

For the first time, Caroline was caught speechless.

"Hey Care," Stefan sat up and walked towards his best friend, "you know it's okay, it's okay to accept that you two are-"  
"No it's not okay." Caroline interrupted before he could finish or continue, "how can it be? He's my teacher and he doesn't commit. Why are you suddenly on his side now? You were the one who stopped me from jumping in the first place!"

"I'm not on anyone's side. Even if I was, I'd always be on yours. I only want what's best for you, you know that." Stefan placed his palms and both her arms, soothing, "and why would you think wanting you to quit denying is me standing on Klaus' side? Unless you know your insistence is the wrong side to be on."

She leaned on her best friend's shoulder and sighed while he kept on reasoning, "and I only warned you to not fall back to your old tragic relationship track again. I do recall saying this new guy was by far the most decent one I've heard of."

"You only started liking him after meeting him. Somehow you managed to make friends with the notorious lone wolf and now you're biased."

He chuckled at the obvious effort Caroline put in trying to find the loophole in his logic. God this girl hated losing. "I can't say I don't like the man, Care. But I only like him because he likes you as much as you him. And to be honest, he doesn't seem like the not-committing type. At least not when he's with you."

"I thought you said we're running late?" Caroline lifted her head and straightened her dress, intent on closing the discussion.

Sighing, Stefan lent her his arm as they walked out of her dorm room, "way to avert sensitive topics, Care. You're lucky I'm trying to make a good impression on your roommate."

* * *

Pushing through the crowd gathered on the uni open field, Caroline and Stefan managed to find Bonnie and waited for the show to start.

Caroline's thoughts flew back to her conversation with Stefan while her two companies chatted animatedly, volume picking up to fight off voices coming from their fellow audience. Bonnie seemed to have noticed her silence but never pushed, only reaching out for a hand squeeze when the lights all dimmed and the lighting on the outdoor stage was on. Caroline forced her thoughts back on _reality_.

_This meant a lot to Elena. Stop pining over something that can't happen, Forbes._

Elena tiptoed in a pair of pointe shoes from behind the makeshift curtains to the center of the stage slowly. The crowd silenced. Caroline and Bonnie exchanged a surprised look. Who knew the girl meant ballet when she said she was dancing?

The spotlight focused on the brunette dancer while she spun nonstop on her toes, leaving her viewers confused. Slowly, the screen behind her started showing pictures. Ballerinas in tutus, stretched limbs and elegant duo dance poses. A sole line of description took over the screen after the last projected picture faded.

_In honor of Isadora Duncan, Mother of Modern Dance._

The background music came to an abrupt pause and so did Elena's spin. Several other ballerinas tiptoed swiftly on stage and encircled her, their arms holding out in stiff postures to trap the leading dancer inside their bodies of a cage. Elena then discarded her elegant ballet moves and struggled fiercely to flee, only to be blocked back down by the restrictions that surrounded her.

"So there's a plot," Stefan whispered, "a girl trying to break free from rules?"

A male dancer ascended on the right side of the stage, gesturing his longing for Elena.

"Ah, and the white swan is breaking free for her beloved prince," Caroline teased. It was mere plot of the performance and it meant nothing, but she still enjoyed firing back at Stefan when it comes to his latest focus of romantic interest.

Elena's character seemed fueled by the presence of her lover and threw an even more intense fight on her capturers. When she eventually escaped, her ballet costume was ripped and her perfect bun was ruined, stray stands of her dark, straight hair cascading on her bare shoulders. She didn't seem to care though, arms stretching upwards while spinning with a wide grin.

Again, her character started tiptoeing towards her love in an agonizingly slow pace. The music restarted and would pause for a second or two every now and then. When the music did pause, Elena's character would land on her feet with an annoyed expression on her beautiful face. Her gaze would shift between the male dancer she was turtle-pacing towards and the spot where she started her journey, as if she herself was disappointed on the little progress she had made. Then for once, when the classical music restarted, Elena refused to point her toes again.

She looked down at her shimmering costume, and with an exaggerating puff she blew her stray hair to the back of her shoulder, making the audience smile. To Caroline's astonishment, Elena's character unexpectedly tore her already ripped costume to parts and revealed the sheer black leotard under it. She then kicked off her pointes, let down her hair and shook her head as if enjoying the release she brought herself.

New music started playing, and this time, unlike her previous elegant yet reserved characteristic, Elena strode widely, emotionally and threw herself into the male dancer's hug.

* * *

"Great job, Elena. I liked it very much." Stefan greeted Elena with a maybe-too-eager-to-be-natural peck on her cheek after she came off stage.

Offering her coat to a shivering Elena, Bonnie winked teasingly, "oh don't listen to this one, he's far too biased. Here, wear this. You won't be able to stand this cold December weather in just your swimsuit."

"It's a leotard, not a swimsuit." Elena rolled her eyes good-naturedly, wrapping herself in the warm fabric.

Giggling, Carline pulled Elena in for a hug and congratulated her for succeeding her long-prepared show, "yeah, that we know. As we also know how wonderful your performance was. I didn't know you could dance ballet as well, I thought you joined the modern dance club!"

"Yup, it usually takes a few years of ballet trainings before being introduced modern dance," Elena reached for Caroline's hands a bit sheepishly when the blonde let go of her, "Care, listen, I've been thinking..."

"About?" The blonde encouraged, giving her obviously nervous roommate a squeeze on the hands. It wasn't normal for Elena to stutter, and the contagious anxiety was somehow getting to Caroline.

Elena inhaled deeply before breathing out, "I was wrong, Caroline. About Klaus, and you."

Her words took Caroline aback. This time, it was the blonds that was stuttering, "wh-why are you bringing this up right now? Actually, why is everyone bringing this up tonight?"

Elena and Stefan shared a knowing look, and the brunette kept on confessing, "I wasn't thinking clearly when I first knew about Klaus and you, and was blinded by my fear of history repeating itself. I was afraid of losing you so I jumped to the conclusion that every teacher-student relationship is going to-"

"Elena!" Caroline's eyes was wide as saucers when she hissed at her friend's volume and wording, "saying that so loud in the middle of a crowd full of students from our school is not a very good idea!"

"Right," the other girl stuck out her tongue in an apologetic way.

Frustrated, Caroline brought her hand to her forehead and ran it through her hair, ruffling her perfect curls a bit. She exhaled sharply and made sure to lower her voice when she mentioned _the name_, "and why the sudden change of mind? I'm sure _the connection_ you're sharing with Stefan can't be that infectious to have changed your opinion on Klaus."

"It hasn't. I still don't trust him, at least not fully." Elena stated, albeit bluntly. "But performing this dance got me thinking. The only reason why modern dance even existed was because Isadora Duncan was tired of the restrictions ballet had on the expressions of performances. She invented this new dance style because she wanted dancers to be able to show their real feelings, she wanted female characters to be able to run into their lovers' embrace in free, wide, confident and passionate strides instead of tiptoeing little by little."

"And you don't want to be the restriction. You don't want to be the target of the blame." Realizing, Caroline concluded coldly. _Hypocrite._

"It depends. Have you been blaming me?" Elena defended herself, arms crossed in front of her chest.

Brows furrowing, Caroline fell silence for a minute or two before clarifying, "no. Keeping distance with Klaus was my decision and I blame no one. I didn't do it because you want me to. You're my friend while I'm my own person with well-functioning free will."

"Then I'm not telling you this now because I want to shake off the non-existence blame. I'm only doing this because Stefan and I have been talking about this and we saw how unhappy you've been lately. You've been forcing yourself."

The blonde shot the only guy in the gang a dirty look as her thought flew back to when she witnessed him and Elena whispering beside her paintings stock, the one with Klaus on included. "I'm not unhappy! Stefan is here to celebrate Christmas with me. I have you and Bonnie. How can I be unhappy? And I'm not forcing myse- forget it, can we please just not talk about this?" She protested, knowing well that her resistance was wearing thinner and thinner every minute down their interrogation.

Stefan cocked his brow while returning her a quit-the-bullshit smirk, "don't deny that when you're in the presence of your lifelong friend, Carebear."

To avert Stefan's piercingly knowing gaze, Caroline turned to look at Elena. "And what do you want from me, pray tell, now that you're grilling me with this?"

"I want nothing from you. Like you said, you're your own person," the brunette preached, "the question is, what do you from him? From you and him?"

Bonnie, who'd been silent since the conversation started, chose to step in, "like I've told you, I support whatever feeling and decision you have and make, Care. Think about how unleashed Elena looked on stage when her character was freed."

"You can't hate the idea of me being with him first and tell me to go for it now. It's not fair!"

"Nobody said it was, and Elena's apologizing for being unfair to you." Stefan reconciled, "all we ask of you is to give it a second thought and do what you really want. And don't bring up that forbidden teacher-student relationship and non-commitment shit of excuses again when the real reason lies otherwise. You won't want me to voice my suspect, you know I know you too well."

Feeling betrayed by him while knowing he was just trying to provide the extra push under good intention, Caroline wanted to fire back but found herself not capable of coming up with any defense or excuse. Instead, memories- real good ones- of her time spent with Klaus flooded in and took over her mind. His jokes, the genuine smile that he only showed her, the way he looked at her. Their kiss, their laughter, their shared humor, the satisfying feeling she experienced pressed against his chest when hugging him at that posh bar he brought her to. The completeness she felt when just being with him. The way he managed to make her feel like a better self just being with him. The suppressed imaginations of what she could have with him.

"I, I-" Crumbling, she lifted her head and looked at her friends.

Elena looked back at her, guilt and encouragement mixed in her big doe eyes. Stefan gave her a pat on the shoulder. Bonnie was the one who looked down at her watch and announced, "I do recall that the Tube closes at 12. You've still got half an hour before the carriage turns back to a motionless pumpkin if you're willing to give it a try, Cinderella."

Overwhelmed by the situation, the blonde took a few backward steps, "but I-"

"You don't think our lecturer is going to pine over you forever, don't you? And it's Christmas Eve tomorrow, I'm sure the Underground staff is dying to shut the whole system down the second their watches strike 12. Tide waits for no women. Take a chance before it's too late. Tik tok!" Bonnie tapped on her watch as well as tilted her head to the direction of the Underground.

With that, Caroline nodded heavily, the hem of her dress swirling around her thighs as she turned immediately.

Squeezing herself through the crowd on the school field and on her way into the train, she felt her heart drumming against her ribcage with all the emotions that was brewing within. Her insecurity was nagging her with every step she took. _What if Klaus was already over her by now?_ Her anxiety joined the party. _What if she'd made him wait for too long?_ And her second thoughts sure put effort in making her notice them. _Would she be making fun of herself if she just showed up unexpectedly at his door? Maybe a call first would be better? But what if he was too busy to pick up? Or even worse, what if he refused to pick up when he saw her number, the digits he claimed to have known by heart?_

The train stopped and the familiar recorded voice reminded her it was the station to alight. _Mind the gap_, the staff on the platform yelled at the crowd who was pushing out of the train, yet all Caroline could mind was the what-ifs that was gloating at her anxiousness. With every step she took, she was closer to the house that she anticipated and feared. And every step she strode, jogged was heavier than the last with her worries bringing her down.

But above all, the one emotion that weighed the most was her desire to tell Klaus how she felt. Even if it was no longer reciprocated, all she asked was a glimpse of him, as if she was suffering for a life-threatening poison and his mere being was the cure to the insane pain that was throbbing in every fiber of her body.

She wanted him, that was for sure.

She found the way to his home, thanks to that one time when she actually went there to help find Henrik. Hesitating, she stopped at the doorstep to even her breath before ringing the doorbell and regretting it the second she pressed it. How could she forget that, as grown up and mature as Klaus was, he seemed to share a strong bond with his siblings and the brothers and sister somehow found a way to live under the same roof. It could have been any of the siblings to come answer the door. And if they did, what was she going to do? Run away like she was a pranking teenager? Tell Klaus' sibling that she'd come looking for her lecturer, in the middle of Christmas holiday, late at night? Did that even make sense?

A few seconds passed and she heard footsteps on the other side of the door, along with a masculine, low 'coming!'

Good, at least it wasn't his sister, the one Caroline had never met. She remembered hearing from someone that the sister was an uprising musical star, and Caroline's personal impression on famous actresses could be a bit intimidating. If it was a brother, then it could be Kol the fun –well, wild- one she'd briefly met, or Elijah the school dean. Wait, was the school dean really better than a Regina-George kind of actress?

Before Caroline could talk herself down and go on the run, the door in front of her opened to reveal a shirtless Klaus, sport pants hanging low on his hips. Shocked, he stood in the doorway as he gave her an appreciative once-over, "Caroline. Didn't expect to see you. What brings you here?"

Faintly, she could hear fireworks blasting in the sky somewhere faraway, the splendidly colored lights dying her and Klaus' profile in ever changing spectrums in the short moments of speechlessness. Looking in those ocean blue eyes were like being vacuumed into a Christmas crystal globe, flakes of memories and feelings shimmering from above, the rest of the world eclipsed to the silent background.

"I came here for you," she explained bluntly, overwhelmed by the waves of emotions splashing on her sand fort of composure. She knew she wanted him on the way here, but what she hadn't known was that she not only wanted him but also needed him, badly.

Klaus frowned, confusion written all over his handsome face. "Caroline, don't say things you don't mean. I thought you-"

She wasn't sure if it was the distance that made her heart fond, but she'd been barely able to contain her feelings for him before seeing him, and now she had lost the battle. She flung herself at him unashamedly, knocking him on the door.

It took him a few seconds before his hands flew to her waist, and to be honest there was a moment when she questioned that his intention was only to keep balance, but then the way he kissed her back when her lips found his was how a single spark kindled a huge wild fire. She was assured.

_Good, he still wanted her._

Eager for more of him, she pushed him to the side wall of the front hall and trapped him with her heating body. Klaus seemed a tad hesitant in the beginning but had soon abandoned whatever questions and self-control he was having, indulging himself in the frantic sucking, kissing and tongue brushing. His hand roamed up and down her back while the other found its way to the nape of her neck, the light brushes he ran through her curls making her moan against his lips.

As if finally coming to his senses, Klaus pulled away to look at her blushed face, "Caroline, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry I was wrong. I need you," she whispered. Pressing herself flushed against his body, she felt his lower parts grew hard as he heard her bold confession.

And before her brain could process, he seized the blank, flipped them and shackled her in between his arms and the wall, "I won't ask twice, so think straight before you answer: Are you sure about this?"

His fingers caught her chin and lifted it up so she was staring into his eyes when she breathed, "I can never think straight when I'm with you."

"I'll take that as a yes," he claimed as he descended and shoved her up over his shoulder. He kicked the door shut and eagerly jogged up the stairs. Next morning, when he asked her how come she didn't remember which floor his room was on she would blame it on how his warm palms snaked their way up her thigh, not that she had any complaints right now. Shivering, she nibbled the skin of his nape. "Caroline, love, if you don't stop that we'll never make it to my room."

"I'm actually quite fond of your staircase," she bit her lips after saying that. Shameless, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Klaus' empowering touch was responsible for that, not her.

He pressed a wet kiss on the side of her thigh as he opened the door to his room, "I'd be willing to fulfill your fantasy another day, sweetheart. But for now, I'm afraid although my other siblings are all out for fun, we've still got little Henrik sleeping in his room."

If their previous activities hadn't flushed her from head to toe, the mention of the adorable little boy sure did. And before she could recover from her embarrassment, she was thrown onto Klaus' king size bed, bouncing on the soft mattress while her ruffled curls fanned around her face.

She arched her back to create room to unzip her dress when he pressed down to continue their mind-blowing kiss. After leaving her struggling a while, he leaned down and whispered against her ear, "allow me."

He cradled her upper body with one strong arm while still latching onto her lips, his other hand reaching behind her to unzip her dress and unclasp her bra in one swift move. Cooperating, she stripped when he let go of her for mere seconds to do so himself.

It was one thing seeing his bare chest and another feeling it pressed against hers. The friction of her nipples rubbing against his skin sent shivers down her spine, and another wave of joy shocked her when he took one of them into his warm mouth, his fingers taking care of the neglected other. Her hands shot to cover her mouth when she realized she was mewling loudly. Not knowing how long she'd been doing so, she could only try as hard as she could to not awaken Klaus' baby brother.

Sensing her nervousness, he lifted his head and pried her hands away, only to offer her his index finger, "I'm sorry you have to stifle that beautiful melody, love. Have at it."

Hesitantly, she caught his finger in between her teeth. Once she did, he grabbed her wrist- the one that was once injured- and kissed the pulse point on it. His smirk was both boyish and devilish when he looked at her, "I do remember someone saying that this turns her on."

Recollecting that she did told him kisses on wrists and napes were a huge turn on to her, she unconsciously bit on his finger. The sharp sting seemed to have fuel him, for his smirk cracked into a lustful grin and his eyes darkened as he lowered himself and kissed all the way down to her belly button. Meanwhile, his spare fingers swam upwards from her knee to the apex of her thighs, outlining her sex as if it was a delicate sculpture his artistic fingers would pamper and create. His skillful tongue soon joined the _collective creation_ and painted her whole body in a trembling mess of sinful scarlet, the paint being her own juice. Her bite on his finger only grew tighter and tighter as he continued to mark her, claim her, ravage her with his tongue and nimble fingers. Her eyes squeezed shut when a shockwave washed over her, making her shake intensely with his fingers in the clenched nip of her teeth.

She let go of it apologetically, huffing and puffing as she came down from ecstasy. The redness and silver strings of saliva on it making her blush, she curled her arms around his neck to bring him down for a kiss, tasting herself on his lips.

"As much as I enjoy kissing you, I'm afraid I have to remind you that I'm far from done with you." Klaus stuck his finger in front of her mouth again, not bothering to wait for her to accept it before entering her.

A sharp gasp escaped her and she quickly bit on the finger like a drown man would grip a floating wood. Filled and stretched, she was overwhelmed by the sensation that she cried even with the finger to hold on to. Circling her within his embrace, he gently hushed her with his rhythmic breath fanning against her earlobe, the tempo coherent with his thrusts. Struggling to keep her moans low, she pulled at his curls from behind without even noticing.

As the pace of his pounding slowly accelerated, he craned his neck and reached to pepper loving kisses on the back of her neck. His husk voice was a dreamy chant when he called her name in between the butterfly kisses, "Caroline, Caroline…"

She wished she could reciprocate that, but all she could do was keep chewing on his finger. It was her last remaining grip to her sanity. The ignited coil of hunger was driving her crazy from her lower belly, and his merciless thrusts weren't helping at all.

"Cum for me, love. Cum for me now," when he tipped her over the summit with an abrupt knead on her burning clit, an iron taste exploded on the tip of her tongue. She felt him shiver above her seconds later, his sweat dripping down that perfect jawline on to her collar bone.

It was strangely satisfying, to be honest. Mixed fluids and bitten finger.

She left her mark on him when he left his on her.

He was hers, and she was his.

* * *

**Aaaaaaand they finally did it! I wonder if you liked it? Tell me how you feel about this chapter! I could really use some encouragement now.**

**So the reason why I've been absent for so long is that I was under a phase of depression for a while and it took another while to heal and recover. And then school came into the drama while social life tragedies added themselves in the equation. Also, there had been times when I questioned myself if I was really capable of writing stories in my second language. I was just really afraid of offending people without even knowing. So tbh there'd been times when I really did have time to write but had simply been too sad or distraught to actually start typing. I know that wasn't very responsible of me and if anyone still cares about this long-neglected story enough to read all this I'd be more than thankful.**

**A huge thankyou hug to the amazing people who reviewed last chapter and made ****_300 reviews_**** happen: ****_greycecullen, chillwithJyl, goldenhummingbird, Chelseab95, secile, jbraz and Guests._**** And a special thankyou to those who had asked for updates long after the last one. This chapter is only up here because of you, considering my final is just around the corner, haha.**

**Next chapter: Caroline shame-walks to join the Mikaelson breakfast, and more Henroline!**

**Again, please review to let me know you're reading! I shall be able to write again at the end of June, after bidding my third year in college farewell.**

**With love and gratitude,**

**-A**


	22. Secrets, the truth she hid deep down

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry this took longer than I thought. I got kicked out of my flat and my landlady wasn't being very nice so I really didn't have much time to write while trying to look for a new place to live at such short notice.**

**Enough with my shitty life, please enjoy a chapter full of awkwardness and fluff from Klaus' POV, for next chapter we'll be having some tension and after that will be some obstacles… only about 5 more chapters to go!**

* * *

It was safe to say that when he woke up to a heavy blonde head of curls on his chest, Klaus felt more secure than ever in his life. Really, he wasn't exaggerating, even though he himself hadn't known he could be this insecure. Before really coming back from dreamland- as Henrik put it- to his consciousness, Klaus had suspected Caroline would've been long gone, snuck out in the middle of the night after they'd had those mind-blowing rounds of sex.

Yet there she was beside him, bare shoulders rising and falling, breathing in and out soundly like the sleeping angel that she was. He wasn't the thoughtful kind of man but he felt like he would jeopardize something fragile- either her, them, or some kind of dream that was too good to be true- if he accidentally woke her up. So instead of outlining the feminine jawline of hers like his fingertips itched to, he stayed still and restrained himself to just observing her.

It was a calming 20 minutes, watching her sleep. He hadn't known there was anything even more soothing than coaxing Henrik to sleep but he guess he got lucky. Caroline began stirring before he'd had enough but when she started rubbing her eyes and letting out quiet moans like a feline he remembered how more fascinating she was when awake.

"Hey, you." Caroline blinked a few times, albeit sleepily, before a beautiful smile graced those lips that he'd savored on the night before, "what?"

Klaus brought her closer by hanging an arm over her sheet-wrapped body, "what what?"

"Why are you laughing? Is there anything on my face? Did I drool? Do I look funny?" Her tone went from lazy to a little anxious while she examined her cheeks with her palms, making sure there was no tracks of mouth water that escaped during her sleep. Klaus secretly found it adorable, "I wasn't laughing. And there's nothing on your face, love. Even if there was anything it would be traces from last night, which would only make you look more stunning… and delicious."

"Yes you were," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly and deliberately ignored his mention on their crazy night activities by steering the conversation away, "okay so maybe you weren't laughing-laughing. You were doing that smug and annoying grinning- laughing. Like, gloating."

Sensing her dodgy attitude, his grin shrank a little, "has it ever come to you that I might not be gloating? Maybe I was just happy?"

She gently pushed his arm away from her to set a little distance between them so that they could look at each other properly, "for?"

"For just looking at you. Or for knowing that you're still here. Knowing that you haven't made it just a one night thing, or that you haven't decided to run away again, like in Cambridge or my office." Klaus sighed, unable to hide the intense stare behind the bliss from last night anymore.

His words had her speechless for a second or two before a sheer crimson of guilt washed over her delicate face, "Klaus, like I said last night, I'm sorry. And I think I was wrong. No, I _know _I was wrong."

He just stared at her and waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he exhaled and cupped her face in with his relatively big palms, "do you want to tell me what made you change your mind?"

Klaus wasn't sure if he was hallucinating but he swore he saw a flash of relief on Caroline's face as if being able to temporarily pass on opening up about something she knew she should've eased her up. He didn't like the feeling, but wasn't fast enough to voice out his suspicions before Caroline started telling her story about how her roommate and friends went from against to pro their relationship.

"So that was it? They encouraged you to come to me and then you did as they said so?" Klaus prompted jokingly, fishing aimlessly for something he knew she was hiding, "so different from the control freak I know. I thought you liked controlling not only others' but also your own life, sweetheart."

"Of course I've been hesitating for a long while already. They weren't the only factors that made me change my mind. I just needed an extra push," she managed to shrug in the bed.

"What I meant was, I never thought you were the kind of girl who dances to someone else's tune. I thought, if you'd change your mind last minute on your own will- according to you- plus that little extra push from others then you wouldn't have rejected me in the first place. You are as stubborn as a mule, you know."

Caroline dodged his line of sight and bade with a concluding tone, "they weren't the ultimate factor. You were."

Catching the hint, Klaus decided to let it slip just for now. Like he said, Caroline was a strong-willed girl who lived only under her own directions, and she wouldn't change her mind easily- even under her so-called friends' encouragement- unless she'd been doubting her choice all along. The question was, what was the source of the doubt? What had she been thinking throughout their separation? Why did she pushed him away in the first place? Klaus Mikaelson was a determined man who always got what he wanted, and he sure would get the answer he looked for at the end of the day. He would just have to wait until the right moment, he figured.

"You'll have to pay for the sweet talking, sweetheart," he played along her line and lifted himself up from the mattress to hover above her, trapping her naked body with his limbs. She giggled and welcomed the falling feathery kisses he planted on her chest and collar bone. Her arms circled his neck and lowered his face to her lips as her legs escaped the sheets to wrap around his waist.

Klaus was just planning on ravishing her for another 2 rounds as a punishment for not telling him the truth behind her actions but a loud, curt knock on the door interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Niklaus, I'm not sure if you are keeping track with the dates but today is, in fact, Christmas Eve and the family would appreciate your presence at the breakfast table," Klaus groaned against Caroline's crook of neck as Elijah's usual stiff politeness put out his fire of desire, "also, although I have no idea how and when your… lady friend popped up during your watch on Henrik last night, but I strongly recommend that you send her away before our beloved baby brother finds out about your company. I shall see you ten minutes later at the dining room."

By the time Klaus recovered from his irritation, he saw the blonde girl under him covering her moth with pure embarrassment written all over her face.

"Did he hear us? Which brother of yours was that?" Caroline whispered in spite of hearing Elijah's leaving footsteps seconds ago.

Klaus chuckled as he moved away from her and out of his bed, "you mean last night or just now? It depends, love. The walls are quite thin. This house is an old family heritage, after all."

He didn't went too far towards the shower before his bare butt got hit by a pillow. "I'm serious, Klaus! Oh my God, I shagged my teacher all night, with his siblings under the very same roof! Please don't tell me that was Elijah. He was the school dean and he even helped me expand my exchange span. God, I wish I could dig a hole right here and now and bury myself alive."

Laughing, he shook his head and walked back to the bed. "Unfortunately, it was Elijah," he chuckled even more while prying her hands away from her fully flushed face, "and if it makes you feel better, I don't think Bekah and Elijah were back before we finished round 3 last night, and I don't believe Kol was even home until early this morning, so we shall be just fine."

"Ughhhhh," despite Klaus' intention on trying to make her feel better by telling lame jokes, Caroline seemed to only feel worse, "just kill me already please. This is far over my embarrassment acceptance."

He pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead and cooed, "you have no need to feel embarrassed, Caroline."

"Of course _you_ have no need to feel embarrassed, Klaus, they're your sibling!" Caroline smacked her face hopelessly, "but I do."

"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik! We are all wai-ting!" A childish call rang from the other side of the door, followed with a string of soft door knocking.

Now Caroline had buried herself under the sheets. All the more reasons to make Klaus swallow his own comfort words.

"Coming, mate! Just give me another few minutes!" Klaus responded loudly to Henrik before turning down the volume and patted the lump under the sheets, "will it help if I let you use the shower first?"

Caroline stuck her head out of the sheets a little, revealing just a glimpse of her messy blonde curls, "no, but I'm still taking you up on that offer. And please tell me you'll work out a plan to sneak me out meanwhile."

"Nonsense. There's no need of that plan," Klaus yanked off the sheets, exposing her creamy body in the cold air. The glamorous sight made him hard below, but he pushed the thought away, "you're having breakfast with us."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Caroline fidgeted, cladded in his old Henley and sport shorts. Her clothing and underwear were lost somewhere in the house while they traveled from the front door up the corridor to his room so she would have to settle with his clothes, which were clearly oversized for her.

Klaus lead her down the hallway towards the dining room with their held hands, "of course, sweetheart. It's not like you're some dirty little secret I have to hide from my family."

She stopped in the middle of the way, her free hand playing with the hem of her- his- shirt, "but your siblings, and Henrik-"

He cut her short by holding both her hands and giving them a confidence squeeze, "already adores you. Have you any idea how wrapped around your finger that young lad is already? It's almost like you've bewitched him, you know, only after 2 brief meetings and he's proposed to you, Henrik. Ah, speaking of, we might need to be careful around him. Don't want to break a 5-year-old's heart don't we? As for my other siblings,"

She tried to protest but he shot her a no nonsense wolfish smile, "If you calm down and give it a thought you'll realize how normal it is, my girlfriend comes to stay the night, and I conveniently introduce her to the rest of the family next morning. Isn't that smooth?"

Klaus could see that she was overwhelmed, not by the whole 'meeting the family' situation but by his declaration on regarding her as his girlfriend. It both stung and warmed his heart a little, how surprised she was about his commitment in them. Sure, it was rather haste for him- maybe even the first time ever- to step into a solid relationship and to undergo the 'meet the family' drama on the same day but he wanted this. He wanted to prove it to her. Somehow, even when he knew there was something else that she wasn't letting on, Klaus suspected her previous rejection had something to do with his mess of romantic history.

He wanted her to feel secure, for his and her insecurity's sake. But Caroline needn't know that, "well, at least it's smoother than holding a ball to introduce the girlfriend to not only the family but the press, isn't it? Don't tell anyone I told you this, but Mother actually did that when I was younger, to introduce Finn's girlfriend t_o the world_ for the first time."

With that, he managed to crack a laugh from her, and he secretly swallowed before leading to his lunatics of siblings.

* * *

"Who is that?"

"Caroline!"

Rebekah and Henrik exclaimed in tandem once they realized there was a girl following Klaus into the dining room.

"Hey buddy!" Caroline lifted the little boy, who had stormed towards her knees at once, up and pressed a loving kiss on his cheeks. Klaus suspected the extra affection was either out of guilt- they did fucked like horny bunnies in the room right across from Henrik's last night- or just to hide from his siblings' prying eyes.

Elijah's eyes lingered on Caroline's _inappropriate clothing_ a bit longer than necessary but to his credit, if he was surprised that Klaus' lady friend- according to himself- from the night before was the very American exchange student they'd helped expand exchange length together before, he hid it well by giving her a curt nod and inviting her to sit at the table.

"Caroline! Aren't you a pleasant surprise!" Kol exclaimed when he entered the dining room from the kitchen with plates full of bacon, eggs and pancakes in both his hands.

Kol quickly placed the plates down on the table at where it would be easiest for Henrik to reach and went over to Caroline for unnecessary greeting pecks on the cheeks which Klaus growled at, "not sure if you still remember me, but I'm Kol, the handsome and fun brother."

To Klaus' astonishment, Caroline didn't seem to feel and act awkward towards Kol flirtatious as ever attitude. Instead, she took to it with a friendly and playful gleam in her smiling eyes as she retorted, "it would be hard to forget you, Kol."

"Why is that everyone except me seems to know this whore Nik fucked and dared to bring to our family breakfast?" Rebekah was always good at cutting her food graciously while staring daggers at potential threats to her favorite brother's well-being, "where did you meet her again, Kol?"

"On the streets," Kol replied suggestively, slightly twisting the fact that their first encounter was actually when Henrik dashed on the open road and Caroline caught the little boy.

The Mikaelson blonde sister sent a piece of bacon through those rosy lips and hummed, "a hooker, then."

"Language, Rebekah. We have Henrik here, I thought we've gone through this before?" Elijah wiped his mouth before explaining in a flat tone, "Caroline is an exchange student in Niklaus' art course."

"What?"

"Elijah you could've let me said it myself." Both Klaus and Rebekah fired furiously at Elijah's brief introduction.

Caroline patted Klaus' knees under the table as well as thanked little Henrik's friendly attempt to share a pancake with her, "it's okay Klaus, I can handle this."

Truth be told, Klaus was more than proud seeing Caroline turned from that fidgety, embarrassed girl in the hallway to the one who had put on her best Miss Mystics smile and gave an impeccable speech of self-intro after taking a deep breath.

"I see that Nik has become so insatiable on his physical needs that he's lowered himself to have just any student as a plaything." Rebekah remarked tartly, not looking at their direction while she picked on the food Kol cooked, "and an American! I heard there were lots of gold diggers from like, centuries ago?"

"I swear if you say another word against Caroline like that, Rebekah, I will dagger you with that nail polish file you loved so much before you even close your mouth, sister or not." Klaus' endurance had come to its fullest and by then he had already risen from his seat to point his fork at his troublesome sister.

Sometimes the Mikaelsons were just too protective on each other and sometimes they just threaten each other too much. Balancing was always the trickiest tactic.

"Niklaus, sit, and no pointing. Rebekah, manners." Elijah berated coldly but didn't seem to have a real intention on stopping his sister's rudeness.

And to everyone's surprise, it was Caroline who broke the silence after the tiny fit at the table a few seconds later, "and you must be Rebekah. I've heard so much about you and your musical, _the 1920s_. I'm a huge theater fan and have been trying to see the show- they say you sing great in it - but could never get a ticket. They're always sold out." Caroline complimented in a truthful and not-too-flattering tone, albeit wearing a defiant smile.

Rebekah seemed taken aback that the poor girl who she just grilled was not only clam and unharmed but even praising her show and singing ability. Don't get Rebekah wrong, as the princess of the Mikaelsons and the rising star in the Westend, she was used to flatter, might even drown in them on a daily basis. What she wasn't used to was having someone compliment her in a matter-of-fact yet defiant way, like her counterpart was saying 'yeah, you're good but I'm not bad myself.'

"So you sing yourself?" Rebekah squinted her eyes, examining the other blonde who was clearly calming her brother down by not-so-secretly holding his hand under the table. It had been a long time since she last saw Klaus show such affection to a girl. Apparently this one was different.

Caroline shrugged as she spooned some eggs for Henrik and accepted the little boy's gratitude with a high-five, "well, I did sang a Broadway medley for the talent session of the Miss Mystic Falls beauty contest and won, not sure if it was because my fellow competitors all tripped during the dancing session but I didn't, or if it was the fact that my voice just brought the judges to tears that day. But I'm sure I'm not as good as you are, Rebekah. I'm no professional ingredient."

Klaus and Caroline exchanged a look at the mention of her beauty pageant position and the atmosphere seemed to be warmed up and lighter after the little joke and compliment she'd just played. Caroline had the magic to make people like her, and Klaus was sure she'd already passed the little test Elijah had half-deliberately set for her.

"Hmm, and what do you what for your life? Career? Interest?" When Rebekah opened her mouth again, her tone was much softer, a telltale sign that she had slowly come to accept the other blonde.

Caroline put on her triumphant smile as if Rebekah had jumped right into the trap she'd set just for her, "well, I major in journalism back in the States and I do have a wanderlust so I was thinking maybe I could be a freelance reporter, you know, writing about the world and traveling and all that. But now that I've taken Klaus' course and have discovered this new interest in art, I can't really say for sure. So for now, I'm just gonna enjoy my exchange life and my boyfriend's company."

Kol through his head back at Caroline's claim on Klaus, and between his furious laughing he managed to give her a few claps, "I thought I liked you before, but Caroline, sweetheart, I now like you even more!"

Klaus ignored Rebekah's grumpy, defeated face that she only wore when she actually liked the one who beat her, only to find that even the most serious among them-Elijah- was smiling at his new girlfriend in an amused way.

"Who is your boyfriend?" It was Henrik's sudden question that froze the room again. Everyone in the household knew the youngest Mikaelson had a crush on some girl named Caroline although it was the first time for some of them to actually meet the mysterious temptress in person.

And Caroline, with her eloquence and diplomacy that could even make her the queen if she used them correctly, forked Henrik a piece of pancake while saying, "hmm, I don't know, Henrik MIKAELSON. But I think his last name happened to match yours."

And with the little boys oblivious giggle, Klaus secretly brought her knuckles to his lips for a proud peck.

* * *

**Helloooooo dear readers!**

**Did you like the chapter? It's a bit short but I couldn't think of a better timing to stop it. The awkward Mikaelson interrogation was fun to write and Heroline melted me, so I really hope you had fun reading it as much as I had writing it. Tell me your thoughts, please. I had a great time reading last time's reviews and to be honest it was the only way for me to know if you're liking it or not. So please keep them coming and thanks to the darlings who reviewed last chapter: ****_secile, klaroline1920, Kjsama, chillwithJyl, goldenhummingbird, greycecullen, originalslover, Eneilson, Snowyarbo, raq and Guests._**

**Also, in this chapter we learned that there is something on Caroline's mind that she's hiding and Klaus commitment issue isn't the only reason why she pushed him away in the first place. Like some of you guessed in the reviews, that and Klaus' job was only her excuse. Keep that in mind and we'll learn more in near future.**

**Next chapter: Klaroline fights for the first time since their relationship and there might be some angry make up sex, who knows?**


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